As with most volunteer services, our visits in the community are currently on hold. We are however trying various alternative ways to connect. A few of our teams have tried virtual visits, or sending videos and humorous anecdotes about their animal partners to facilities and some have done walk, drive and ride-bys so that staff and clients could see them through windows, from porches, etc. None of these take the place of what we know our animals give best; a warm, accepting, huggable presence that makes someone’s day and ours too.
We are all ready to get back to work and TASA will support that as soon as the community is ready for us to safely interact again (the Mayor has set a 2% community infection rate as a target). In the meantime, many of us are working to keep bored animals entertained, enjoying more time at home with them, and making sure their skills are current so they are ready to go when we can get back out there.
As an organization we have continued to hold Board meetings and to provide orientation classes by Zoom and we have been working on our social media presence. We launched an updated website in November and have developed an Instagram account as well as a more interactive Facebook page.
Additionally we have a new Board position focused on media, community relations and fundraising and we have been very fortunate to have begun a $10,000 challenge campaign in November. We are so very fortunate to have such strong community support and encourage all of our members to get the word out, like our Facebook page and network through their own social media.
