Star*
call 911........call 911
Our local ASPCA has an awesome dog food soup kitchen. Every Friday morning at 8:30 am. They will allow you to sign up and get a free bag of dog or cat food based on your needs. It's not just junk dog food. Some of the local mills have donated graciously so the food is fit literally for human consumption and very high quality. Some times depending on the donations there are also snacks, cat food and biscuits.
It's run by the people from the ASPCA and has been a low keyed venture until well, until everyone found out about it and now it's a disgusting free-for-all. People are pulling up in Lexus, Cadillacs, Jaguars - with more jewelery on that I own and claiming to have 4 large dogs, and 12 puppies. Makes me sick - especially when I pull up in a 20 year old car, without air conditioning, in clean but older clothes and really DO have 5 dogs, 1 cat and am living on the edge.
Today was the limit. They were late. 100 people sitting on the trunks of their cars STOOD or SAT and watched as one lone man struggled to unload some bags of dog food from a semi. I couldn't belive it. So I went and helped. I left WORK to help. Usually it's all set up - tents, sign in - etc. So another woman came to help and then a few men, another woman in a dress and an older woman - really old. But we stood there taking bags - NOT GOOD. My take charge attitude took over - I asked everyone if we could form a human chain and they thought it was a good idea. ANother woman suggested we form 2 lines - she had sand-bag - levy experience from hurricaine Katrina - we did - and we were done in no time. Then the ASPCA van got there - set up the tents and you can't belive it - the people who sat - CAME RUSHING UP - while we were unloading -YOU KNOW they knew we were volunteers because one of the women who walked up with me said 'ANY ONE ELSE GETTING FREE DOG FOOD GONNA HELP THIS MAN?" - no one came.
SO I went up to the director and said "I don't mind volunteering - even really enjoyed it. But to have these people rush up here - and think that they should be served first after they did no work- isn't right. I belive the volunteers should be asked to stand in line first." and walked to the end of the line....which by now was nearly 200 people long....the volunteers came up to me and said "That isn't right that we are at the end because we worked." AND the dog treats are in short demand and usually only available to the first 50 people - about the number of people we had volunteer? 25.
Then the announcement was made......CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. (a silence fell over the crowd) If you were in the volunteer chain - unloading or help stacking this morning will you please step over here.....And we did.....all 25 of us. The ASPCA put a table under a tent. THen they said THESE PEOPLE WILL BE SERVED FIRST and we appreciate you getting the dog and cat food off the trucks for EVERYONE THAT CAME HERE TODAY TO GET FOOD FOR THEIR PETS.
I thought - YEAH.....about that. I told the lady that if she would allow me to come at 8:00 every Friday and help unload - like we just did? I would. It gave me a sense of feeling like I was helping to pay for what I was getting. I would NEVER have been able to stand and watch and then run up to be first in line without helping. The nerve. But for once - someone recognized and actually followed through for the little man. Or in this case the large woman. AND .....it qualifies for that 30 minutes of exercise for the day - I'm sure of that - lol.
OH and the BONUS of the day - I'm the only person out of 500 that was able to obtain a free voucher for a neuter that does NOT live in this county because I didn't LIE to the director about why I needed a coupon for the puppy. SCORE..... Now to tell Rudy the ermmmm GOOD news.
It's run by the people from the ASPCA and has been a low keyed venture until well, until everyone found out about it and now it's a disgusting free-for-all. People are pulling up in Lexus, Cadillacs, Jaguars - with more jewelery on that I own and claiming to have 4 large dogs, and 12 puppies. Makes me sick - especially when I pull up in a 20 year old car, without air conditioning, in clean but older clothes and really DO have 5 dogs, 1 cat and am living on the edge.
Today was the limit. They were late. 100 people sitting on the trunks of their cars STOOD or SAT and watched as one lone man struggled to unload some bags of dog food from a semi. I couldn't belive it. So I went and helped. I left WORK to help. Usually it's all set up - tents, sign in - etc. So another woman came to help and then a few men, another woman in a dress and an older woman - really old. But we stood there taking bags - NOT GOOD. My take charge attitude took over - I asked everyone if we could form a human chain and they thought it was a good idea. ANother woman suggested we form 2 lines - she had sand-bag - levy experience from hurricaine Katrina - we did - and we were done in no time. Then the ASPCA van got there - set up the tents and you can't belive it - the people who sat - CAME RUSHING UP - while we were unloading -YOU KNOW they knew we were volunteers because one of the women who walked up with me said 'ANY ONE ELSE GETTING FREE DOG FOOD GONNA HELP THIS MAN?" - no one came.
SO I went up to the director and said "I don't mind volunteering - even really enjoyed it. But to have these people rush up here - and think that they should be served first after they did no work- isn't right. I belive the volunteers should be asked to stand in line first." and walked to the end of the line....which by now was nearly 200 people long....the volunteers came up to me and said "That isn't right that we are at the end because we worked." AND the dog treats are in short demand and usually only available to the first 50 people - about the number of people we had volunteer? 25.
Then the announcement was made......CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. (a silence fell over the crowd) If you were in the volunteer chain - unloading or help stacking this morning will you please step over here.....And we did.....all 25 of us. The ASPCA put a table under a tent. THen they said THESE PEOPLE WILL BE SERVED FIRST and we appreciate you getting the dog and cat food off the trucks for EVERYONE THAT CAME HERE TODAY TO GET FOOD FOR THEIR PETS.
I thought - YEAH.....about that. I told the lady that if she would allow me to come at 8:00 every Friday and help unload - like we just did? I would. It gave me a sense of feeling like I was helping to pay for what I was getting. I would NEVER have been able to stand and watch and then run up to be first in line without helping. The nerve. But for once - someone recognized and actually followed through for the little man. Or in this case the large woman. AND .....it qualifies for that 30 minutes of exercise for the day - I'm sure of that - lol.
OH and the BONUS of the day - I'm the only person out of 500 that was able to obtain a free voucher for a neuter that does NOT live in this county because I didn't LIE to the director about why I needed a coupon for the puppy. SCORE..... Now to tell Rudy the ermmmm GOOD news.