Letters: AniMeals thankful for outpouring of support

We feel that you deserve an explanation of the circumstances that led up to our current situation. This didn’t happen overnight. We saw it coming a year ago. At that time we immediately started to reduce the population in our shelter by reducing intakes, starting a waiting list for new intakes, and eliminated three part time positions. We sent out our summer newsletter and a letter to inactive donors to try and revitalize our donor base. When a primary donor (that paid for a substantial part of our payroll expense) wasn’t able to continue donating, our founder emptied her retirement account and sold her car to buy us time, hoping against all hope that we would not have to lay off the employees that were so essential to our organization.

The note came due and our fundraising efforts were not successful enough to cover our expenses. We eliminated four more positions and went public. Thousands of people came to our aid and donated in blind faith to AniMeals. The response from our community and beyond was awe inspiring and very moving. Our gratitude cannot be expressed; there are no words that can convey what we are feeling. You gave us the miracle we needed to continue our mission: to save the hungry, the helpless, the lost, and the little ones just struggling to survive; to house and feed as many animals as possible and to ease the suffering of the weak and unloved.

You let us know in one voice that this is not just OUR mission, it is yours too. You let us know that you were not willing to let us fail those that count on us. That you have our back; and even though these two words seem to be so inadequate…from the bottom of our hearts…Thank you.

Going forward three paid employees will be doing the work of ten so volunteers are vital. We will not be cutting any of our programs but it will be necessary to modify our hours. Beginning July 1st, the hours we will be open to the public are: Tuesday through Sunday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.We will be closed on Mondays. Anyone wishing to help by volunteering at the shelter can do so between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. seven days a week.

Your continued support in the form of donations, adoptions, and volunteering will be crucial to the well being of so many lives both now and in the future.

Karyn Motlzen, found and executive director of AniMeals