The Sandy Dog Nannies of Vermont are working on connecting hurricane victims with reliable, acceptable fosters in Vermont.  The group is currently looking for volunteers to foster animals, transport animals from NJ to VT, coordinate transport missions, respite support, perform home inspections and volunteers for general administrative work.

Sandy Dog Nannies of Vermont

After Hurricane Sandy tore through the Northeastern coast leaving a mess of destruction in her wake, many families had to evacuate their homes and are now living in temporary shelters until they can find a way to put their lives back together. One of the consequences that many people over look when a disaster occurs is what happens to family pets when people move into these shelters. Some shelters will take pets for a few weeks but after that, these families must find other solutions for their animals. Usually this means surrendering them to animal shelters and groups that are already filled with animals displaced by Hurricane Sandy. While local humane societies are doing a fantastic job at keeping up with the influx of abandoned pets, many people are just not willing to part with their beloved pets for good.

Luckily, there’s the Sandy Dog Nannies of Vermont! This group, founded by eight caring individuals, is working on connecting families in need with reliable, acceptable fosters in Vermont. Fosters will take pets in for up to 6-8 months while their owners look for more permanent housing.  The group is currently looking for volunteers to foster animals, transport animals from NJ to VT, coordinate transport missions, respite support, perform home inspections and volunteers for general administrative work.

While I wasn’t able to convince Peggy to foster a dog here at the office (yet!), Vermont Woods Studios is currently looking for ways to get involved with the Sandy Dog Nannies. We’ve volunteered to transport dogs to Vermont and conduct home visits before dogs are placed with families.  I’ll keep you posted on our progress!

Other Ways You Can Help Sandy Victims

Blood Donations: The American Red Cross is in need of blood donations after the cancellation of over 300 blood drives. A few of us here in the office will be heading into Brattleboro to give blood in a few weeks. (Check back on our blog in early December to see how it went).

Meals on Wheels: Citymeals.org delivers prepared meals to thousands of housebound  elderly New Yorkers everyday. After Hurricane Sandy, there was an increased need for non-perishable meals for NY CityMeals recipients. Being volunteers for Meals on Wheels here in Vernon, this organizations’ efforts resonate closely with us. They are accepting monetary donations that are 100% dedicated to the preparation and delivery of meals.

Help by Request: AidMatrix along with the National Donations Management Network and the American Logistics Aid Network has a consolidated list available for responders to see exactly what is currently needed in problem areas.

More Help Links: The New York Times Blog is a great place to find more links and lists of exactly what is needed.

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Loryn and Heather B carry Meals on Wheels bags in Vernon, VT.

-By Loryn Dion

Starting a new job, I know you have to be prepared for anything that might be thrown your way. That being said, I was NOT prepared for the task that Manjula gave me Friday morning!

For a few years now, Vermont Woods Studios has been volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program here in Vernon, VT. As part of our mission, Vermont Woods Studios is committed to giving back to our community. The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states.  MOWAA works to provide over one million meals to seniors every day, with close to one million volunteers helping to make it happen. Friday, I became one of those volunteers.

With Peggy out of the office, the VWS staff saw a great opportunity for the “Freshman Class” to learn what community service means within the company. So with Kendall as our guide, Heather B. and I set out to deliver the weekend meals across Vernon.

Despite a few moments of confusion, we had a great time! Being able to provide someone with a warm meal, a nice conversation and a smile is a wonderful feeling. You can tell that each person truly appreciates this service and enjoys the company of those who provide it.

I would undoubtedly suggest to anyone with a little extra time to volunteer with Meals on Wheels. It only takes an hour of your time once a week, so why not sign up today?

Loryn Dion is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.

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The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states.  These programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. 

Did you know that hunger is a serious threat facing millions of seniors in the United States?  Nearly six million seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2007.  Over 11% of all seniors experienced some form of food insecurity that year.

At Vermont Woods Studios Furniture we take turns volunteering for Meals on Wheels in our own town of Vernon, VT.  It's not just a great way to serve your community, it's also a lot of fun.  It only takes about an hour/week per volunteer if each volunteer signs up for a different day.  Why not sign up to deliver Meals on Wheels in your community?

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