Volunteers are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization. They perform various activities that are crucial to the daily functioning of a non-profit organization. When it comes to an animal rescue group volunteers can be found at adoption events, fundraisers and fostering animals.
Recently, local animal rescue group Second Chance 4 Pets Network honored a special volunteer. At their recent annual gala, “Through the Looking Glass” which was inspired by the Madhatter's Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland, Second Chance 4 Pets Network presented one of two “Volunteer of the Year” awards to Marcia Autry.
Autry said she was shocked to be given the award. The group did it's best to keep who was winning the ward a secret, and it paid off as Autry said she was pleasantly surprised to receive the award that recognized how much she does for the group.
“Receiving the award made my proud, and it made my family proud when I received it” said Autry. “It also meant a lot that the award was given to me by my peers.”
Autry was chosen as volunteer of the year for various reasons. For starters she is always willing to lend a helping hand. She has organized garage sales and has sold items on Ebay for the rescue group. More recently she has been fostering a 10 year old special needs miniature poodle named Mable.
Autry can also be counted on to foster newborn animals who are in need of bottle feeding. Whenever Second Chance 4 Pets Network finds itself with newborn kittens who are in need of bottle feeding Autry is always number one on speed dial. She is more than willing to take newborn kittens into her home and bottle feed them. Newborn kittens require special care and a lot of patience, and Autry is always willing to answer the call.
Autry was also willing to open her home for Second Chance 4 Pets Network. Since Second Chance 4 Pets Network is a foster based rescue group they lack a building, so when it came time to plan their annual gala they needed a space to do so. Autry was willing to let the group plan the event in her house.
“Marcia will do anything for homeless animals. She opened up her house almost daily to us to while we were putting together baskets. She made the committee dinner on a nightly basis, and she would go get donations,” said Judy Parker, co-chairman for the dinner.
This meant that event committee meetings were frequently taking place in her kitchen, as well as having silent auction items and baskets filling her living room. Second Chance 4 Pets Network took over Autry's house for about three months and she was always warm and welcoming. On top of that she frequently made the event committee dinner several nights a week over the course of several months.
For all these reasons and so many more, this is why Second Chance 4 Pets Network chose to honor Autry with the “Volunteer of the Year” award for 2016.
Second Chance 4 Pets Network is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization animal rescue group. More information about Second Chance 4 Pets Network can be found on their website SC4Pets.org.