A bit of a Conumdrum

Well, it is the only way to explain. You see, I honestly hate sounding like a whining, complaining witch, and I really don't want to start a mass snail mail (blew up big time last year) or mass email campaign to find support and help, but it seems that it in the only way.

I would like to send out newsletters, but that is a problem two fold, first, I seem to be the only person putting any articles in it. (I have asked several people to write about their experiences over the years, and have not gotten one). I have asked for vet referrals and information and why they like their vet, only one person sent me the information on their vet and asked their vet to give us some info on themselves personally.

This puts me back to the original spot of ending up sounding like a whiney shrew, which I really do not want to sound like. Honest! : )

At the Brain Storming meeting, 15 people showed up, I mailed out 339 invitations, to folks who have adopted or volunteered in the past all within a 40 minute drive, give or take a few. Nineteen came back undeliverable.

One of the things I was trying to get through is the fact, that if someone says they will do something, they own it, they follow through with it, and so I am not left hanging and doing a mad dash to find a way to get it done. Normally either that happens, or no one steps up to help and it is all done by one or two people.

The Car Show is a good example. Sarah said she would make follow up calls to the businesses who received the Show Packet, BTW, she is a trooper no matter how rude or nasty people were, she kept her cool and was polite. Someone else was supposed to help and put it off until yesterday, so here I am this week punting.

You see, I do like organizing things, doing the newsletter, creating things, and that, but I do need help. With the regular stuff of the shelter, like cleaning and such, help getting donations, raffle prizes, people to follow through with what they say.

Someone at the meeting said, it would be harder for businesses to say no if you show up to ask with the information. Which, in some cases it would work, but I have one question, how am I suppose to do that? I am one person. I cannot be everywhere.

If I am working on the basics, mailing out information packets, getting together the addresses, general mailings doing vet runs, talking on the phone, doing adoptions, dealing with surrenders, keeping track of items for rescues and funds raisers, sending thank you letters and receipts, litter boxes, oh and let's add trying to find a way to make the human area of the house smaller, but still livable, and trying to keep up with the bills, cooking, cleaning, well, you get the idea? Oh, and doing the taxes and recovering the shelter information that is in back up form (another story, did I ever mention that I have the kiss of death with computers sometimes? I look at them and loose information).

The shelter needs its own home. I have not given up on that. I am still working on it, just got off the phone with a group looking for summer opportunities for volunteering, but they will not come into a private home.

I cannot blame them, and to be honest, someday I would love to have some privacy.

So back to the original reason for this, we need help, and if you say you will do something, own it and follow through to the end, without having to have someone hold your hand the whole way through, if you have questions, ask, but do what you say you are going to do, don't just talk it up.

If you think about it, that is something not only for helping here, but also in every area of life.