Friday, December 10, 2010


This video was taken at a mobile adoption at Preferred Pet Salon on December 4, 2010

Sweet and Short December :)

Hey Guys! I'm sure everyone is as ready for break as I am!

This month C.A.R.E. rescued a lot more dogs so they have been pretty busy. We attended a mobile adoption last Saturday and will going to another this Saturday. It will be at Walmart on South Campbell if anyone is interested in stopping by :).

This semester we've had some great experiences with the staff and other volunteers at C.A.R.E. My best experiences with them has just been being there and getting to know the people involved, which also let's them get to know me and to rely on me. This project has truly become OURS in every sense. I don't really feel like there have been any tough experiences really. We held back on the activities we had planned for this semester due to complications with C.A.R.E. getting their calendars in. Other than that it has been a pretty easy and accepting partnership.

This semester taught us that we have to manage our time for the project better. Seeing how this semester went, next semester we will be more on our game. We will get started on things sooner. Also the projects will be more based from our side, so we don't have to wait for directions or materials.

Working with Sarah, Anna, and Katrina this semester has taught me how to actually be apart of and work with a group with diverse opinions, study habits, and work ethics. We've done pretty well to get along with each other and to respect each others opinions. We've used our leadership skills we've gained to promote C.A.R.E.

I don't feel like the Stress Free Now and Wellness program have really helped all that much with stress. Sometimes it seems to add more stress than it takes away. The activities were great though. I would gladly continue doing them. Yoga and Tai Chi actually were relaxing and they were kind of fun. Sarah has actually been talking about starting a Tai Chi club on campus now, which I would definitely participate in.

This break I am just looking forward to relaxing. Not doing schoolwork for a while. Reading books that have nothing to do with school and aren't required. I think we're all in need of a little refreshing before next semester. We will be losing Katrina when this semester ends so hopefully being away for a month will give that enough time to sink in.

Hope everyone enjoys their breaks!! Good luck on finals!!
Josie

P.S. Don't forget to bring back any unwanted items after break to donate to Care's Closet- Thrift Store!!

END OF THE SEMESTER! :)

Hello everyone, its almost time for everyone to go home and chill for a month. I'm so excited to be done with this semester! Here's an update on what we've been doing:

We have been going to mobile adoptions this month, one on the 4th at preferred pet supply, and one on the 11th at Walmart on South Campbell. We have also all volunteered this month and helped look after the enormous amount of animals they have at CARE right now. CARE is anticipating the holiday rush to adopt animals, so we are almost over our capacity to house all these animals. We are also still selling calendars, let us know if you want one! We’re starting our drive this month for CARE’s thrift shop, CARE’s closet, so if you guys are getting a lot of new stuff for Christmas and want to donate your unwanted items, bring them back to campus with you!

The best experiences I have had with this agency are definitely when I actually get to see an animal be adopted. It’s always nice to see a dog or cat that has been there for a while walk out the door with a family that will love it and to know it won’t end up in a shelter ever again. The toughest experiences are definitely just the everyday chores around CARE. It’s not easy work to take care of 40+ animals. Sometimes when we’re walking the dogs, one makes a break for it and you have to chase it down the street… which is pretty funny to look back at… but not at the time when you think this dog is about to run out into traffic and such. Another hard thing we have to deal with is the people that come in. Sometimes these people don’t exactly understand that these animals are RESCUED from animal control, and not bred in some home. That’s why we don’t know why some of them have the injuries they do, or behave the way they do. It’s exhausting to explain that to people who are used to getting their pets from breeders.

I think next semester, we will really try to focus more on the PR and fundraising aspect of CARE, instead of going to so many events. Hopefully CARE won’t need us so much for these events and we can focus on our other projects for next semester, like our dollar dog dinner. I know that we will definitely improve next semester, because we have learned to balance our time between school and CARE. A skill that I have acquired from this experience is being able to work in a team. I was never very good at working in teams before college, and now that I have been through so much with my group, I feel like next semester will be amazing. I have learned to communicate effectively and to collaborate with people.

The Wellness Program has definitely been an experience this semester, an experience that I have both loved and hated. I loved the chance to do things like yoga, Tai chi and other activities this semester. It was something new in my week that I could look forward to, and Tai chi was very relaxing. Something that I hated about the Wellness program was having to log online every day. It was more stressful trying to make up a day that I missed than my regular life. Perhaps for future users of this program, instead of logging on every day, it could be a longer session maybe twice a week.

Over winter break, I am looking forward to sleeping, spending time not talking to anyone, and catching up on my TV shows and movies I have wanted to see.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

BUURRRRRRR!!

HAY EVERYONE!

As you all probably know it is getting COLD OUT THERE! Time to bundle up and learn how to make ourselves warm.

So since it is December we don't have a lot of time, what with finals and some of us not returning, there is a lot going on. So for this month our project is for the C.A.R.E thrift store that is right next door. We will be putting out flyers or if you have already seen them just to get an idea in your heads, since it is Christmas time and we will be getting new things why not give your old ones away to people that could use it. We are asking people to bring stuff that they have a home or even here back with them to give away. We will have donation boxes all around campus and some at MSU to collect things and bring them to C.A.R.E's thrift store in JANUARY. Or if you want to bring them yourself and look at all the cute animals next door. They have a facebook page if anyone wants to check it out and get directions there just go there page or search them online. (C.A.R.E- Castaway Animal Rescue Effort).... just in case no one new what it meant :)

Well that's I got for now so if anyone has any questions just e-mail one of us four or stop by our house.

Thanks :)

Katrina

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

December the Semester is finally over

Thank goodness that it is finially the end of the semester.
This semester I have volunterred at C.A.R.E. almost every other week. Sometimes it was difficult to make it there, however fortunetly there were oppertunities on the weekends for me to volunteer. These oppertunities included going to various places in Springfield to set up mobile adoptions. These mobile adoptions were fun because I got to have one on one time with thr cats and dogs. I also like a proud mother talk about the best attributes all the cats and dogs have, urging an adoption. I also, went to a pat blessing at the Methodist church on Campbell. This was a fun experience. we collected donations from the church followers. Also, we brought one of the puppies to the animal blessing and the dog was prayed for by the assistant pastor.

The best experiences that I have had with this organization this semester would be just enteracting this the animals. It helps me relieve stress to go and hang out for a few hours with the dogs and cats; especially since we cannot have any animals were we live. It is also is nice for the animals to given some love nad affect, when they come from the pound where they are usually treated badly.
Although getting to be with animals once every other week is nice it is tough at the same time. These dogs and cats live in cages and get passed over and over day after day, week after week. It is a sad experience to watch dogs give up trying to be noticed when people come in to look at them. This was the most emotionally tough part of working with this organization.

Next semester I tihnk will be better than this semester. I think this because the basic mission of our project will not be changing and we have already made connections with the staff at C.A.R.E. The project will have more community and campus evolvment aspects to it next semester.

Living in the leadership housing I have learned how to work with a group on an extensive project. I work better alone and I dont trust people to contribute to work that will have my name on it because I dont think that it will be good enough. So i have learned to deal with this problem of mine. I will be able to be a more efficent and better leader.

I think that the Wellness and Stress-Free Program has taught me interesting things about my body and how I can sense when something is wrong with it. I loved LOVEEDDDDD Tai Chi. That releaved the most stress for me and it was fun and I loved the instructor. You can tell that she was eficent in what she was teaching us about and she enjoyed doing it. I think doing the stuff on time was annoying and boring. I didnt want to do it and actually it stressed me more out thinking about doing it..then actually revealing stress.

WINTER BREAK....I look forward to doing nothing and laying in my bed. I might read a book not related to school. IM EXCITED