Photo courtesy of Minita/www.sxc.hu/photo/1036535
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Women’s Humane Society’s Pet Food Drive, held April 11 – 26. The Food Drive took in 1,494 cans and bags of dog and cat food that were distributed to eight area food banks. Donations were received at the Society and at the Bensalem Acme, Feasterville Petco and other locations, such as veterinary offices, groomers and churches. Several groups also held their own mini-drives.
Colleen Gasiorwski, WHS Board member, organized the event along with Carol McKinney, WHS Board member. Colleen first considered holding a pet food drive while volunteering for a community action group that was gathering food for local food banks.
“I asked, ‘What about food for the pets? No one seemed to have an answer, although some said that people in need don’t have pets,” she said. “So I did some research and found that people suffering economic hardships do have pets and that the number of these people with pets is growing. Many people feel that they have no other option but to give up their pets when times are rough. I thought that a food drive just for pets could help people stop worrying about how they are going to feed their pets and keep more pets in their homes.”
As the donations poured in, Colleen was heartened to see the compassionate response from so many people in our community. “One man’s story was especially touching,” she said. “From his appearance, it was obvious that he had fallen on hard times. He told us that he couldn’t donate because of losing his job and possibly his home. We gave him our good wishes and prayers.
“Later, he came by with a bag of pet food, saying that he wasn’t in good shape financially, but he realized that others were worse off than him. He wanted to help, even if he could only give a little bit.”
