NEWSLETTER 41 SEPTEMBER 2004
|Canine Helpers’
Pathway to the Future |
and Renewing
Gardens
Wouldn’t
it be wonderful to have a special place set aside where you could go to relax
and reflect? A place to honor or pay tribute
to a loved one or pet? Or perhaps a
place to show that you, your family, business or organization believe in the
work of Canine Helpers and would like to support its future?
Well
we are pleased to inform you that we have just broken ground for that special
place! Canine Helpers has already begun
laying the foundation for one of our special pathways and gardens. Nestled among the pines west of our training
facility, this sheltered area will offer a haven for reflection, dreams,
remembering and renewal. It will also
help support the future of Canine Helpers while commemorating the founding
vision and the first two decades of service of “love and help on four legs”.
You
have the unique opportunity to become a founding member in this ground breaking
project!
PHASE I – a strong foundation!
Garden Development and Perennial Plantings
This
phase has already begun! Unique boulders
and rocks form the cornerstone of our first perennial garden. Benches will provide a place to take a moment
to relax and meditate while enjoying the fragrance of the flowers and the songs
of the birds in nearby trees.
You
may purchase a beautifully engraved red brick ($75) or an engraved granite
stone ($150) to be placed in our perennial garden. Each stone will be engraved as you wish: to
honor, celebrate, memorialize, acknowledge or support…Your loved one, beloved
pet, Canine Helper Team, special day, event, business or organization. Arbors, benches, trees, and flowers may also
be sponsored by caring individuals.
PHASE II
Pathways to Souls and Loved Ones
And a Vision Path to Tomorrow
This
phase will form our beautifully winding pathway leading to our gardens. Red bricks and granite stones may also be
purchased and engraved for this pathway lined with memories. We will also provide a special area for
corporate sponsors or service clubs who would like to show their support for
the future of Canine Helpers in a unique setting (for example a “Lions’ Den”).
PHASE III
Continuing Development of Gardens and
Additional Pathways
We
envision beautifully established gardens, benches tucked in quiet niches,
arbors draped with flowing vines, and peaceful water gardens all united by
meandering pathways of beautifully engraved stones. Together they will form a pleasing tapestry
of nature, love, vision, and dedication…which is Canine Helpers.
Please stop by and visit our first garden before
winter comes!
* * * *
!A message from Amanda
On
Amanda
and her family are VERY THANKFUL to everyone who helped with this worthwhile
cause.
Thank you!
* * * *
Congratulations Graduates!
Hi
there, I am “Otis”, a Service Dog for the Ramsdens. The first time I met the Ramsdens I had been
brought into the training center along with three of my co-workers. I saw this couple there and went over to say
hello. There seemed to be an immediate
attraction between us. I ingratiated my
way into their hearts and into their home.
I
help Flo by picking up items that she sometimes drops. I also open doors for her, and will bring the
Lifeline button to her if she ever needs it.
There are a lot of other jobs that I am able to perform, and one of
those is to go to Bob and alert him if Flo needs him to help her.
I
really enjoy going in the car with the Ramsdens when they need to go to the
store and to the doctors. Sometimes
those doors can be a little hard to open, but I can manage. I love my walks with Flo and Bob almost as
much as I love the petting, scratching and attention I receive form them. Bob sees to it that I am always fed, groomed
and attended to whenever I need a “potty call”.
I am their constant companion and am rewarded for that by their love
(and some treats).
A
very big thank you to
P.S.
I almost forgot to tell you about all the new friends I have made: Flo’s nurse,
the aides, the therapists and the neighbors…and boy, that sure is a lot of
petting and loving I receive from them all!
Hi. In 1976 I got my first hearing aid. In 1981, I began wearing hearing aids in both
my ears and decided to get involved with SHHH.
It was there that I first learned about dogs that could help hearing
impaired people. Over the years I knew
that I would someday need one.
In
September 2003 I applied for a Hearing Dog at Canine Helpers and I was
accepted. In March of 2004 I picked out
“Sammy” and we recently began our training.
Thanks to everyone at Canine Helpers, when I take Sammy home, my life
will be changed for the better.
Thank
you!
Y LOVING
& ADOPTABLE! Y
The Behun Family & “Dharma”,
Therapy & PR Dog, Smooth Coated Collie,
Upon
losing our beloved dog this summer, we found ourselves deep in grief. The house was so empty and much too quiet.
As
time passed, we decided to open our hearts and home to another dog that would
need us as much as we needed her. We
decided to talk to
Dharma
has brought us so much love and companionship already. She’s at the perfect age of enjoyment and
already trained. She’s like a gift fully
assembled – no parts to put together – just pure enjoyment! With her gentle nature and loving
personality, we hope to take Dharma into nursing homes to visit and comfort
clients, and to assist at fund raisers and various Canine Helper functions.
We
encourage anyone who wants to give a loving dog a good home to consider one of
Canine Helpers’ “adoptable dogs”. They
are just waiting for someone to love them and to give them a good home.
Dharma is a part of our family – we’re so happy!
Thanks Canine Helpers!
* * * *
PET
GIFTS
All proceeds benefit the Caring
Canine Retirement Fund
Each item will have your special
dog or cat’s name embroidered on it, and includes
paw prints and milk bones. Great birthday or new puppy gifts!
Thermal dog or
cat blanket $15.00
Mini “wet paws”
towel $5.00
All items are wrapped and ready to give. Call
* * * *
Our
Warmest Congratulations and Best Wishes to
% ~Jon and Ellen
Nelson~ %
on their
recent marriage.
Thank you
again for thinking of Canine Helpers on your special day!
* * * *
Chiavetta’s Chicken Barbeque
Youngstown
Fire Hall –
What could be lovelier than a leisurely ride on a beautiful
autumn day,
colorful fall
foliage against blue skies…bushels of apples and pumpkins dotting
the
roadside? We think you’d enjoy a
delicious dinner along the way,
so
we’ve asked Chiavetta’s to help us prepare one for you. Your dinner includes:
½ juicy barbeque chicken, potato salad,
creamy coleslaw, rolls and butter
Beverages will be available
Tickets
are $7.50
And may
be purchased at the door
or in advance by calling our office at
716-433-4035.
* * * *
Matching Gift ~ Building Fund @
In
our last newsletter we told our readers about Canine Helpers’ need to build a
garage to house our wheelchair van, mini-van and grounds-keeping equipment, as well
as a place to store our wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and other medical
equipment donated to us over the years.
We also said that a local group was considering matching funds…
Well,
our very good friends at AES Somerset
have given us permission to announce that they will match up to $5000 in
donations toward our building fund! To
date we have received $939 towards our garage and welcome your donation, large
or small. The matching gift program is
the perfect opportunity to make your contribution grow! Be sure to designate “building fund” on your
check.
Our thanks to
you and AES
* * * *
Fundraising Luncheon for Linda Rupert
Magruders Restaurant &
Pub
4995 Broadway (Route 20)
Linda is trying to raise funds to
help defray the cost of her Canine Helper Service Dog.
Tickets are $20.00 each and
include a delicious buffet lunch of roast beef,
roast spring chicken, rigatoni
with sauce, tossed chef salad, Duchesse potatoes,
hot vegetables, rolls and butter,
coffee, tea and water.
There will also be a cash bar for
pop and alcoholic beverages, plus Raffles,
candle sale, Amish quilt raffle,
candy bar sale and Canine Helper display.
For more information or tickets,
please call Linda Rupert at 688-6135 or visit
her web page at http://geocities.com/mljr-68/independence.html
* * * *
Please stop by and visit us
at the
Do-Gooders Bazaar ~ Summit Park Mall
(
Friday October 1 and
Our tables will be heaping with delicious homemade
bake goods, as well as Canine Helper T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, tote bags,
crafts and other goodies.
You can drop off your Tops’ tapes…or just stop by to
say hello.
And yes, for all of you generous folks who really
just want to see our beautiful dogs…or put money in their baskets, we
appreciate that too!
See you
there!
* * * *
Would you or your group like to:
v
Contribute to Canine
Helpers in an interesting way?
v
Serve on a fund raising
committee?
v
Sponsor a dress-down
day?
Just give us a call.
We welcome your creativity and new ideas!
* * * *
You’re the Tops!
It’s time for another “Thank
You” to all of our Tops tapes savers. Our
new collectors are doing a great job as well as those of you who have been
supporting this Canine Helper fund raiser for many years. We really appreciate your efforts.
As most of you already
know, the flatter you keep the tapes, the easier they are to cut and add. If you’d like, you can cut them to envelope
size to save postage, but be sure to leave on the total you actually paid, as
we send in about 2-1/2” of the tapes including that amount. Please don’t highlight totals because some of
the colors turn too dark to read through.
Canine Helpers is very
fortunate to be receiving tapes from individuals as well as businesses and
organizations that put out collection boxes for their employees!
Please send your tapes
directly to our Center as the post office has to put an address change sticker
on each one in order to deliver them to Canine Helpers if a different address
is used. Please pass the word.
Again, thank you – You’re really great!
* * * *