just some thoughts Louise Bruderle Editor and Publisher West Coast Woman Anna Gonce Anna Gonce Photo by Evelyn England We love our pets. Make that we LOVE our pets. Seventy percent of U.S. households, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet, according to the 2021- <strong>2022</strong> National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). We dislike, however, animal cruelty in any form be they puppy mills, abuse or neglect. While the bulk of the work at the Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSSC) is adoptions, they offer services and opportunities such as education, training, volunteer opportunities, veterinary services (even if you didn’t get your pet there) and handling pet surrenders. But they have other services you may not know about like pet food assistance, a teen program, fun fur camps for kids, placing pets with special needs, pet therapy teams and so much more. There’s even a memorial garden where you can sit and reflect after losing a pet. Anna Gonce, the nonprofit’s executive director, came to the HSSC with extensive experience in animal welfare having worked two decades in the field. Even so, nothing could have prepared her for completing a major remodeling of the HSSC property all while working through COVID challenges. And, shelters simply do not close - they’re considered essential services which, of course, they are. Read more about how Anna is leading the HSSC as it enters its 70th year of service. And, if you really love animals, consider adopting a cat or dog like this couple who came to pick up their new family addition while we were taking photos. https://www.hssc.org/. Emphasis on Outdoors Prefer to enjoy outdoor activities? We hear you. We’re publishing more events and activities that you can do outdoors. In this month’s issue, we have a feature on nature experience offered by the UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension Service that includes EcoWalk at Pinecraft Park Preserves of Sarasota County, Manasota Scrub South, Venice Lemon Bay Preserve, Sleeping Turtles Preserve South and more. Update: the <strong>2022</strong> Sarasota Film Festival The SFF is back and scheduled to take place Friday, April 1 and run to Sunday, April 10. Look for extensive coverage in future issues of WCW. Youth helping to end hunger in our community The launch of All Faiths Food Bank’s High School Hunger Heroes program in January of 2021 has been an unqualified success, as numerous Food Bank mobile pantry sites have enjoyed a major boost of volunteer support with the assistance of approximately 200 student participants. A former Food Bank volunteer, Carol Hubbard, is a retired Sarasota County Schools employee who came up with the idea to establish a formalized program to recruit high school students and provide consistent volunteer Volunteering at a recent food distribution were High School Hunger Heroes (in no particular order) Joseph Afflerbach, Lea Hernandez Bower, Chris Jimenez-Romero, Connor King, Gwendolyn Mizak, Geneva Pobjoy, Graham Pobjoy, Noah Tonneson and Leah Wojtaszek. opportunities for them. While still working for the school district, Hubbard was instrumental in recruiting students to volunteer with All Faiths. The goal of creating a more structured program was to provide teens with more opportunities to reach their community service requirement for the Florida Bright Futures scholarship as well as to introduce them to the importance – and fulfillment – of giving back to the community. Students can volunteer at mobile pantry sites or pack boxes of food at the Food Bank’s warehouse. Over the summer, they also volunteer in All Faiths’ warehouse packing food for distribution into the community and “Backpacks” with healthy snacks for children. The student volunteers hail from the following high schools: Booker, Cardinal Mooney, Lakewood Ranch, Pine View, Riverview, Sarasota and Venice. Area students are encouraged to accumulate 120 hours of community service throughout their high school career. The High School Hunger Heroes program gives students the opportunity to use their time and talents to not only complete volunteer hours but also to make a lasting difference in their community. To learn more about the High School Hunger Heroes program, contact Hasselbring at 941-549-8156 or vhasselbring@allfaithsfoodbank.org. For more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit AllFaithsFoodBank.org. Focus on Life Enrichment at Women’s Resource Center The Women’s Resource Center has a new program that focuses on life enrichment. “You Are Worthy” is an eightweek series moderated by Chris Florand and Denise Whalin. This in-person series is at WRC’s Sarasota office at 340 S. Tuttle Ave. In “You Are Worthy,” Chris Florand and Denise Whalin will help participants develop skills for improved self-confidence, assertiveness, boundary setting, and negotiation. The weekly program has sessions focusing on developing self-awareness skills, the building block where real personal growth and power to change lives starts. Florand and Whalin help participants stop habits that hinder healthy self-esteem and replace self-defeating thoughts and behaviors with positive views. The “You Are Worthy” two-hour workshops help attendees develop healthy actions and boundaries for an improved life experience. This program meets every Thursday, 6-8 p.m. and consists of eight weekly sessions starting on February 10. There is a $25 flat registration fee for all eight sessions. For more information, visit www.mywrc.org or call (941) 256-9721. Chris Florand Denise Whalin Louise Bruderle | Editor and Publisher | westcoastwoman@comcast.net We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns and features in this issue. You can reach us at westcoastwoman@comcast.net. We’re on the web at www.WestCoastWoman.com. 4 WEST COAST WOMAN <strong>FEB</strong>RUARY <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>FEB</strong>RUARY <strong>2022</strong> WEST COAST WOMAN 5
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