Marge Ellison, Vice President
The Pet Companions Club of PebbleCreek is honored to have as its guest speaker on Wednesday, February 6 C. J. Anderson, President and CEO of Empty Bowl Pet Food Pantry. We will meet in Room 100 of the Eagle’s Nest Activities Center at 3:00 p.m. All residents, whether club members or not, are invited to attend this interesting and educational presentation. There is no charge.
Discussion will include preparing for an emergency from accidents, illness, losing a job or home, single family home fires and community wide disasters, focusing on disasters in the West Valley. According to the APPA Pet Ownership Survey of 2017-2018, 68% of homes have at least one pet. Materials will be provided to help make knowing how to plan for your pets easier and effective!
In the US, resilience is taught to people to fight to get back to their life before the disaster or crisis. This philosophy frequently doesn’t work as people are unable to return to that life because of the challenges they now face. The growing numbers of people who live alone (seniors, veterans and handicapped people) without support and often feeling despair, do not see a way forward or have the skills to recover. Pets can make the difference.
This 501(c)3 non-profit organization has found that people ask for help for their pets, but often not for themselves. Its focus is to provide the victims of disasters and domestic violence, the handicapped, the housebound, the terminally ill and veterans with all types of pet supplies and food to help insure their pets’ health and well-being! Many times, pets make the difference in emotional, mental, even physical wellness choices!
Veterans have been a high priority. Empty Bowl Pet Food Pantry has joined with the Arizona Veterans Stand Down for many years to supply about 2,000 veterans a year with a full range of pet supplies and food. They are part of many state coalitions like United Way’s Project Connects, Interfaith HopeFest and other partnerships around Arizona. For further information on their extensive services or to download a report on their specific activities, please refer to their website: www.emptybowlpetfoodpantry.org.
As always, a box will be available for donations of such as new or gently used items as: pet food (check expiration dates, but opened and resealed dry food is fine), crates, cages, leashes, collars, pet beds, pet toys, treats for all pet species, towels and blankets (no sheets or pillow cases please), etc. Those items not used for our own PebbleCreek rescues will be donated to Empty Bowl Pet Food Pantry.
Address any questions to Jim or Marge Ellison at 623-935-6651.