Project #3: The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County
Their Mission:
"To offer refuge, medical care, nourishment and an opportunity for a second chance at life to injured and abused animals; to protect animals from cruelty, neglect, carelessness, and ignorance; to foster public sentiment of humanity and gentleness toward animals and promote responsible pet ownership through humane education; and, to enhance the quality of human life through animal companionship."
C+C Impact:
Confections & Connections was able to provide the Humane Society with various supplies needed to run their day to day operations including: animal food, toys, treats, office supplies, cleaning supplies, etc.
"Be Human. Be Humane."
The Human Society of Memphis is a very special organization. Since 1933, they have been dedicated to helping animals in the Memphis area, specifically those that are injured or have been abused. Sadly, every year, thousands of animals are neglected and/or abused in our own community. Fortunately, the Humane Society provides for these animals, giving many a second chance at life & the support needed for a brighter future. The organization offers a safe place for them to recover, nutritious food, as well as great veterinary care. Also, along with these essentials, the organization also focuses on the animals emotional support, training, and socialization abilities that will allow them to be adopted into new and loving homes!
The Humane Society is unique in that they are not technically a non-profit but instead run entirely on private donations from people and businesses. Entirely... 100% of their funding comes from the generosity and care of the public. Not to mention, at any given time, you can expect to find over 300 animals being cared for in their facility, with dozens more placed in foster care until they are ready to be adopted. So it doesn't take very long to do the math on that but caring for over 300 animals every day (animals that have been injured or abused and need extra/special care) who need vet care, food, toys, beds, etc. + maintenance/ up-keep/ rent + supplies for daily operations + etc., etc., etc. = A LOT of donations.
I decided to make the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County C+C's Project #3 for many reasons, a few being...
- My family and I are big animal lovers. Through the years we have rescued, owned, and fostered many animals and each one has brought us much happiness and unconditional love!
- Several people (especially my animal loving fam) requested I do an organization that helped our four legged friends.
- The Humane Society is a no-kill shelter and never euthanizes an animal for time or space reasons. Animals may only be euthanized in cases where an animal is too sick to maintain a good quality of life or an animals aggressive behavior shows to be a danger to people.
- Even though a typical Project at Confections & Connections will focus on helping people, animals deserve love and care too. No animal should ever be taken under the care of a human and then neglected or abused. Animal cruelty is a terrible thing that truly hurts my heart and I am extremely grateful for the Humane Society and other organizations alike who dedicate their resources to providing better lives for these animals.
These reasons among others led me to the Humane Society & I am happy to give back to such an organization.
Getting Connected
Confections & Connections was able to connect with the Humane Society by providing supplies needed in order for the organization to run on a daily bases. Along with food, toys, towels, blankets, treats, and other supplies for the animals, the organization also asks for office supplies such as pens, tape, bandaids, soap, lent rollers, paper towels, etc. Thanks to many orders over the last few months + several donations dedicated to Project #3, C+C was able to provide lots of these items!
My best friend, Kelley, volunteered to go to the Humane Society to help donate the supplies. When we arrived, we were greeted with such kindness & appreciation as we explained our purpose for being there & unloaded the supplies. It was fun to see the staff unpack these items... getting excited over the little things like bandaids & masking tape, expressing how useful these things would be. They were extremely grateful, immediately taking my picture and quickly posting it to their facebook page, thanking Confections & Connections for choosing their organization to donate! Afterwards, they told us we were welcome to look around & of course we took them up on their offer. As we walked from cage to cage, we had to hold back our tears. There are so many sweet puppies & kitties just waiting for someone to take them home & love on them. These animals ranged in age, breed, size, color, and personalities, but the backgrounds were all the same. Every one of these animals has had a rough start having been either neglected, injured, or abused. Some of them showed their past with battle scars... missing legs, eyes, or by hiding in the corner, scared we were just like the last person who hurt them. Some you would have never known... happily greeting us with excitement, wondering if we were there to play, and no scars to be seen with the eyes. Some had red adoption slips on their cages, while some still wait for someone to choose them as their newest family member. At the end of our tour, we truly wanted to take every one of them home. Unfortunately, we both had to leave empty handed this time, but I definitely plan to come back one day; leaving with my arms & heart full! Even though these animals are getting great care & much love from the staff & volunteers at the Humane Society, they each deserve, need, and wait anxiously for a permanent home & a human friend to call their own.
If you are looking to adopt a pet, a way to volunteer, and/ or an organization to donate, I highly recommend you consider the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. If you want to learn more, click below to visit their website & see the great things they are doing! You can also make a cash donation here & see how every dollar amount will help the facility, see the list of supplies needed if you would like to donate this way, and also learn how you can volunteer your time!
THANK YOU
I really cannot thank each of you enough for the support you have shown me and therefore the support you've also shown to these wonderful non-profits in our community. Together we may not be able to save the world, but we sure can make a difference here at home. Together we have already touched many lives and I could not be more excited to see where our connections will go from here.