From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM – There are over 100 sites waiting for Hand in Paw services and their goal is to one day reach them all, but they can’t do it without the help of their loyal supporters. That’s why Hand in Paw has once again joined the Giving Tuesday movement, a global day of giving and philanthropy, in hopes of raising more than $5,000 to expand their reach in North Central Alabama.
The nonprofit has created a crowdfunding campaign where anyone can donate and spread the word to help Hand in Paw recruit, train and manage more volunteer Therapy Teams as they strive to reach every site on their waiting list. The Hand in Paw Giving Tuesday campaign page can be found at give.classy.org/hipgivingtuesday .
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the U.S., Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Giving Tuesday encourages people to give back in an impactful way and to share personal stories of how their favorite charities have made a difference in their lives. It’s still a relatively new holiday but has grown quickly. Last year alone, Giving Tuesday raised over $274 Million for nonprofits.
Hand in Paw invites their supporters to give the gift of Animal-Assisted Therapy on November 27th in honor of this special holiday. Hand in Paw volunteer handlers and their therapy animals bring joy and comfort to those dealing with emotional and physical life challenges in local medical centers, schools, and human service organizations. Their life-changing visits would not be possible without the generosity of the community. To encourage the spirit of giving, Hand in Paw has announced some exciting incentives to donate to their campaign.
“There are so many great reasons to donate to Hand in Paw on Giving Tuesday, but a really exciting one is that anyone who donates over $10 to our campaign will be automatically entered to win a pair of Mutt Strut registrations, our annual dog-friendly 5k and fun run. We’ll be giving away 5 pairs total, which value at $60 per pair, so there are plenty of chances to win,” said Brittany Jennings, Director of Communications at Hand in Paw.
Those who are interested in joining Hand in Paw’s Giving Tuesday initiative can get involved in several ways:
• Donate online at give.classy.org/hipgivingtuesday to help expand Hand in Paw’s reach in the community.
•Create a Facebook fundraiser and with the support of friends and family, fundraise so more people can experience the joy and comfort of Animal-Assisted Therapy.
•Donate their voice and use social media to raise awareness about Hand in Paw and their participation in Giving Tuesday. Supporters can share Hand in Paw posts to their page or create their own. A social media toolkit that contains graphics and sample verbiage is available for downloading at www.handinpaw.org/campaigns .
ABOUT HAND IN PAW: With a mission to improve human health and well-being, Hand in Paw is Alabama’s premier Animal-Assisted Therapy provider and a national leader in this growing field. Hand in Paw’s corps of professionally-trained volunteer handler and animal Therapy Teams serve people of all ages in more than 100 medical centers, schools, and human service organizations throughout North Central Alabama. For more information, visit www.handinpaw.org.