Volunteer Appreciation Week: April 20-26

22nd April 2020

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week!

Humane Society of Summit County volunteers serve in a variety of ways to make animal rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption possible for over 2500 animals every year. They give more than their time, they give their heart, compassion, and dedication – and these qualities are the lifeblood of the Humane Society of Summit County.

While we cannot celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week together this year, we send our thanks to our volunteers for their service! In 2019, 430 volunteers gave over 42,000 hours - that is equal to 20 full time staff! These volunteers serve in roles like dog walking, dog training, veterinary care support, cat socialization, adoptions, support of Happy Tails Thrift Shop, kitten fostering, laundry, local news appearances, event planning, fundraising, support on our Mobile Adoption Center, and much, much more.

Every year we recognize two volunteers for above-and-beyond contributions to the animals and the advocacy work of HSSC. This year’s awards are sponsored by Blind & Sons Heating - Cooling - Plumbing - Electric, in Memory of Randy Greathouse. Randy was a beloved son, brother, coworker, and friend to animals. We are proud to honor our volunteers who have made a deep impact at HSSC while remembering Randy’s devotion to our four-legged friends.

Congratulations and thank you to the 2019 Volunteers of the Year, Betsy Bagstad and Phyllis Estin!

Betsy Bagstad has been a volunteer at HSSC for over 10 years, and has served over 5000 total hours, including 941 hours in 2019 alone. Through her volunteer work, Betsy has provided support as Feline Adoption Assistant, Medical/Surgical Assistant, and Kitten Foster, as well as supporting on Mobile Adoption Center visits, special events, and various other projects to improve our shelter and help rehabilitate and find loving homes for all animals, especially cats. Her can-do attitude and collaborative spirit are huge assets to our shelter volunteer team. She is a vocal advocate for animal rescue and HSSC.

Phyllis Estin is an enthusiastic and many talented volunteer at the Humane Society of Summit County and Happy Tails Thrift Shop. Phyllis has been a volunteer for over three years and has logged over 1600 hours. Her roles include serving as a medical and surgical assistant with Dr. Kauffman as well as sorting donations, pricing, and welcoming customers at Happy Tails. Phyllis loves all animals and is an ambassador for HSSC and our mission in the community.

Elizabeth Andrew said “volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they have the heart.” We are grateful for the time and heart that our volunteers devote to the animals at HSSC. We miss you, volunteers, and look forward to having you back soon!