The May/June issue of GRREAT News is available for downloading.

DO YOU LIKE TELLING OTHERS ABOUT GRREAT, GOLDENS, AND RESCUE?

If so, we have wonderful volunteer opportunities especially for you...

EDUCATION COORDINATOR: The GRREAT Education Coordinator is responsible for seeking out opportunities to educate the public and volunteers about GRREAT, Golden Retrievers, rescue, and related topics. This includes seeking out educational information from books, web sites, and other media to share via the GRREAT News, the foster home newsletter, and GRREAT's Facebook page; searching for opportunities for educating the public at places such as pet shops and community events; and finding speakers or seminars to for foster families, other volunteers, and members. As a recent example, GRREAT participated in the Cupids and Canines event on Capitol Hill, meeting and educating hundreds of US Representatives and their staff members.

GRREAT is invited to many such events every year. We set up a table, have a few people there, bring a couple adorable Goldens with us, and talk to people about what we do. It is not hard work, it's fun, and you meet interesting people. People who stop by our table are often surprised to learn that a Golden rescue exists or that so many Goldens are given away by their owners. In the days after an event, we see more visits to the GRREAT web site and a rise in applications to foster. Sometimes we are allowed to sell merchandise and/or collect donations at these events.

EDUCATIONAL EVENT TEAM LEADS: We need two people (one for VA events and one for MD events) to work in coordination with the Education and GRREAT Events Coordinators to expand our educational outreach in the community. These two people will serve as contacts and coordinators for community events in their areas Working with a team of other volunteers, they will attend events to set up our display, oversee the volunteers who will staff the event, and maintain inventory. The team would also need to coordinate getting items to the event as well as taking down the booth at the conclusion of the event.

Educational Event Team Leads must be responsible, dependable, punctual, and, most importantly, professional -- our organization and volunteers rely on you. Educational Event Team members serve as GRREAT advocates to the public, and must be able to professionally represent our organization and to present our mission. Educational functions are loads of fun -- wonderful opportunities to meet other GRREAT volunteers, interact with other dog lovers, expand our membership, and collect money to support our rescued Goldens (if allowed).

If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact president@grreat.org

Grab a GRREAT Sweatshirt

The price of the GRREAT calendars and sweatshirts have been reduced. Go to the GRREAT Store to purchase the calendars, sweatshirts and a bunch more.

GRREAT Membership Renewal

Don't miss a thing! Renew your GRREAT membership for 2013!

We are dependent on membership dues, donations, and fundraising to operate. Your $40 membership dues keeps the GRREAT News coming every two months and will help save more Goldens in 2013. If you elect to "opt-out" of receiving the newsletter by mail, the $40 is fully tax deductible. If you choose to receive the printed newsletter, $30 is tax deductible ($10 is the value of goods and services received). Membership also confers one vote in GRREAT elections.

Please support GRREAT by becoming a member at: http://www.grreat.org/membership/mbr_center.htm

NEW Golden Membership Category!

About a year ago, Max (11-069), who wrote the President's column for the Nov/Dec GRREAT News, was appointed to the Board of Directors as Treats Coordinator. ;-) However, he is not a member of GRREAT, a requirement for serving on the Board. This situation led us to create a new membership category allowing any Golden to join our organization! For just $10 your Golden can become a Golden Member of GRREAT!

We are dependent on membership dues, donations, and fundraising to operate. Your $40 membership dues keeps the GRREAT News coming every two months and will help save more Goldens in 2013. If you elect to "opt-out" of receiving the newsletter by mail, the $40 is fully tax deductible. If you choose to receive the printed newsletter, $30 is tax deductible ($10 is the value of goods and services received). Membership also confers one vote in GRREAT elections.

Golden Membership can be established at: http://www.grreat.org/membership/mbr_center.htm

Pet Food Recalls

Periodically, recalls are issued for dog-related items. Keep you Golden (and other pets) safe by staying up-to-date on pet food and snack recalls at the Food and Drug Administration web site (http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm).

Dollars for Doers
Easy Cash for GRREAT
 

Do you know that your volunteer efforts can be turned into cash for GRREAT dogs?  Some companies offer to donate money to non-profit organizations for the volunteer work done by their employees and retirees. The donation is based on the number of service hours the employee/retiree has performed for the non-profit.

Through the Dollars for Doers program, GRREAT benefits twice: once from the volunteer's contribution of time and again from the financial contribution made by the volunteer's employer.

If you are a GRREAT volunteer, please ask your employer if they participate in the Dollars for Doers program.  If they do not, we would be so grreatful if you would ask them to consider it.

Here is a suggested Dollars for Doers policy you can give to your employer to help set up a program at your company.