The Doggie Thrift Stores operated in Eureka Springs and Berryville by the Good Shepherd Humane Society (GSHS) that help fund the no-kill animal shelter have “some of the best volunteers on the planet,” stores’ manager Janet Chupp said. They just need more volunteers to join the team to share the load with others, some who have been there 10 or more years.
“We are in desperate need of more volunteers,” Chupp said. “Most volunteers work three-and-a-half hour shifts, either from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 5. It is not the easiest job. The intake process is quite extraordinary. People just drop stuff off, a lot of time damaged or dirty. Our volunteers sort through it and put it out so it can be reused while helping fund the animal shelter.”
Volunteers are often retired people, and are usually pet owners who have a soft heart and a strong bond with animals. The volunteers enjoy interacting with each other while giving the dogs and cats a chance to be adopted to their “forever home.”
“Our volunteers are just so amazing,” Chupp said. “I can’t even tell you how wonderful it is to be a part of something like this. They are so giving! We recently had a pop up holiday store fundraiser. Some of our volunteers were there fourteen hours that day. That kind of dedication is remarkable. They are unsung heroes.”
Jay Fusaro, GSHS board vice president, is very impressed with the work done by the thrift store volunteers.
“I believe it is a strong statement by a community of our size to have so many volunteers dedicated to saving the lives of animals that most likely otherwise would’ve been put down,” Fusaro said. “Once a donor drops off goods, they need to be sorted, priced and displayed. That takes an enormous amount of hands-on labor. We currently have approximately thirty-six volunteers at both stores and, to be fully staffed, need to be closer to ninety-six.”
Fusaro said it wouldn’t be possible to have services provided at the shelter, taking care of 70 to 75 animals at any one time, without volunteers. Historically, the two thrift stores provide approximately 60 percent of the annual revenue to run the organization. The other 40 percent is revenue generated from the shelter, general fundraising, grants and donations.
More volunteers are also needed at the shelter to provide critical services such as dog walking, which provides enrichment and socialization for the dogs. They also have volunteers who interact with cats to provide socialization, which makes the transition once they are adopted that much easier.
There have been some changes at the Doggie Thrift Store since Chupp took over as manager in June. Both stores are now open the same hours, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closings on Mondays gives them a day to clean up and do repairs. Chupp also added a place to sit, beverage service areas, and complimentary candy and small toys for children. Displays have been changed to make it easier to find things.
“I like to make everything look warm, welcoming, and inviting,” Chupp said.
Chupp said every volunteer makes a difference.
“We have several volunteers who have been with us for nine or ten years,” Chupp said. “We are all here for the shelter. A shout out to Tracy Williams, who came up with a new formula to do the linens in our store. She picks up all the linens, takes them home, launders them, sizes them and makes sure there are no holes and they smell good. Our linens sales have increased quite a bit just from that. Dave Spencer, who runs the cash register at the Eureka store, has picked up several shifts to help out because we are short staffed. We also needed someone to do the books, and he has jumped up to help with that.
“Betty Watts, Connie and Ernst Schrader, Kathy Jensen, Nancy Werve and Tanya Renoude have all been volunteers a long time,” Chupp said. “Lin Welford and Ann Wilson have worked at the Berryville store and have worked there for quite some time, as well. Jeri Voerman, and Chuck and Karen Welch have been with us a very long time, as well. Jeff Burdsall does electronics. He serves on the board and helps out at the shelter itself. Janet Corley, retired RN, will do whatever I need. I could go on and on. All of our volunteers are like that.”
Kathy Jensen, who volunteers at the Berryville store, came here from Wisconsin six years ago after retiring as an accountant for Harley Davidson.
“I thought volunteering at the thrift store would be wonderful to do,” she said. She also served on the board of directors and as treasurer of the Good Shepherd Humane Society for several years. “There are so many animals that need homes. I think the fact we don’t kill them, that we feed and take care of them until can find a forever home is a good thing. No animal should deserve to die because we are overcrowded. Animals are so wonderful. They give us unconditional love. It teaches us how to love and care by having an animal.
“We meet nice people,” she said. “They are happy when they come in. We get a lot of compliments on our store in Berryville. And it is rewarding knowing these clothes and other items are being repurposed, not being thrown away. We also have furniture. And everything new is so high priced, so this helps out people in the community.”
Jensen has been working extra shifts recently because of the volunteer shortage, and filling in for people on vacation. She would love to see more volunteers join the effort.
Chupp said there is also a government workforce program that pays low-income elders to work at non-profits like Good Shepherd. For more information, Chupp can be reached at (479) 244-7156.