Shelter seeking volunteers
By Hollie Gowen
Special to The Star-Herald
It takes a lot of people to keep the animal shelter going — and only four of them are actual employees. The rest are volunteers, giving their time in a variety of ways, and more of these wonderful men and women are needed.
There are three easy ways to get involved with the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
You could visit the shelter and take a dog for a walk or give a cat some play time outside its cage. You could fold newspapers (used to line cat cages) or do laundry or help clean.
If you’re interested, just stop by and talk to a staff member about getting started. Even children younger than 16 can volunteer, if they are accompanied by an adult. What a nice way to spend time as a family while giving back to the community.
Sometimes people say they would like to help but find it too hard to go to the shelter — maybe the hours don’t work with their schedule or they can’t stand to see the dogs and cats who need homes waiting in cages. Whatever the reason, if you fall into this category, consider joining the Friends of Central Aroostook Humane Society.
The Friends group has more than 60 members who receive periodic emails with shelter news and volunteer opportunities for fundraisers outside the shelter, like bake sales or car washes. As a Friend, you decide which events you want to participate in.
If you would like to join the Friends group, simply send an e-mail to FriendsofCAHS@yahoo.com.
The third way people give of their time and talents to the humane society is by being on the board of directors. The board meets once a month, and all board members do work outside of the meetings on various projects. In addition, all board members are expected to participate in the shelter’s fund-raising events.
We currently have two openings for new board members and are accepting applications for these slots.
Residents of Caribou or surrounding towns are especially encouraged to apply, as we’d like to have representation from a variety of the communities the shelter serves.
Also, we are actively seeking people with any special skills or knowledge that would benefit the shelter. Maybe you’re a lawyer or your hobby is web design or you have a background in building maintenance — it doesn’t have to be related to animals to be a huge help to the humane society.
If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Chris Robinson, board president, at tomandchris@atiwi.com and request an application. All applications will be reviewed by the board, and those applicants who best fit the current needs of the shelter board will be contacted. The others will be kept on file and reviewed as new slots on the board become available.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the humane society at 26 Cross St., Presque Isle. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday —closed noon to 12:30 p.m. for lunch.
