Fulfill Your SAOs with Furry Friends
Toccoa Falls College requires that each student complete four Service and Outreach opportunities. Though they may seem like just another task for graduation, SAOs are valuable for both the community and the students involved. If you’re looking for a way to be involved in the community and earn SAO hours, check out the local animal shelter: Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter. The animal shelter is in need of volunteers, and it is a great way for students to benefit the community while receiving SAO credit.
Jeff Roberts has been the Director of Operations for the Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter for a little over nine years. He has worked hard to help provide and facilitate animal adoptions. Roberts says that student volunteers benefit the shelter, whose biggest challenge is meeting the needs of the many animals they house.
Because the shelter has limited staff, student volunteers can help by feeding, doing basic maintenance, taking photos for online animal profiles, and socializing and interacting with the animals. Roberts notes that socializing with the animals is very important and makes them more adoptable.
“The time that a volunteer spends with the animals not only helps the animals but also the person volunteering,” Roberts says. “[...] It offers rest, recharge, and the volunteers feel good about what they are doing.”
The director says the shelter would also benefit from the help of volunteers who are willing to promote them to the community through social media.
“There is a challenge in the community in that the radio station and newspapers only appeal to a certain part of the community, so [we] have a hard time reaching everyone,” Roberts says.
The Humane Shelter is nonprofit and has a set monthly budget for expenses, therefore any help they are able to receive from volunteers or donors is helpful. Besides financial gifts, the shelter can benefit from donations of paper towels, trash bags, bleach, detergent and gift cards. You can even attend The Flashbacks’ Performance at the Ritz Theatre October 14 at 7 p.m., where proceeds will benefit the animal shelter. Enjoy music from the 50s - 70s performed by The Flashbacks while helping local animals!
By volunteering, you can help these animals find a “furever” home and meet your SAO requirements all at once! The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to come before opening hours, starting at 8 a.m.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Toccoa Stephens County Humane Shelter, call 706-282-3275 and ask to speak with Donna. You can also visit https://tschs.org to find out more information about the shelter, their list of adoptable animals and upcoming events.