MRHS Volunteer Opportunities
Rescue Transport- There are a few tasks here. Every Tuesday our transport van is at the MRHS shelter at 7 AM being loaded with animals.
1) We need help loading the van (1 HR max)
2) Drive the transport van (All day job) Free trip to Joliet, Illinois if you know someone there. Return same day or wait till next to return.
3) Animals have to have pictures taken and short descriptions emailed to rescue director for acceptance with rescue groups (1 to 2 HRS a week)
Photography- We need someone who can go to Marion Animal Control once a week to take photographs (preferably digital images) of the dogs. These pictures are crucial for transport acceptance as well as posting for adoption and our own animal records. Amount of time is probably about 1 hour a week tops including submitting the photos.
Shelter Office- We still have holes and need backups for volunteers to keep the shelter open, answer the telephone and allow the public to look at animals. Volunteer as much or as little as possible for Sunday thru Saturday but try and cover at least 2 or 3 hours in a block if possible. Ideally, we would like to have enough people to stay open 7 days a week. 9 AM to 4:30 PM Monday thru Friday and 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 3 PM Sunday.
Animal Care- Caring for over 200 animals is a large job. We always need more volunteers for this. This involves cleaning cages, changing litter, providing food and water and checking on the animals.There are two shifts thru the day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning shift usually work from 8:30 AM to about 11-11:30 AM. The evening shift varies somewhat since it often depends on someone with a key having to be there to open up if no one is working the shelter office but it is usually around 4:30 PM or later. The evening shift work is not as extensive as the morning shift and usually takes less than 1 ½ hrs.
Animal Health- If you have training in animal care/health and know how to administer shots, do testing, take blood, etc. we need your help.
Drivers- There are a few needs here:
1) Rescue transport drive listed under transport category above.
2) Periodically, we need to move animals around. Trips to the vet and back for shots, tests, care, or spay/neutering. Animals are sometimes transferred to and from Marion Animal Control or our animal care person. This usually will only involve short periods of time and some driving. You need not handle the animals, they are moved in carriers but you might need a vehicle with some space in it.
3) We have access to free volunteer help in the form of Work Camp Trustees which have served us well and taken the load off of the morning crew considerably but they need transportation to and from the MRHS shelter and Marion Animal Control. Someone has to pick them up from between 7:30 and 8:30 AM and deliver them back at 2:30 to 3 PM. We have a vehicle which will carry all of them and we have been doing them in one trip now. All we need is a reliable driver to use our vehicle to go get them or take them back. If you come to the shelter and switch vehicles then go get them, drop them off and return back to the shelter it usually only takes 45 minutes. Doing only one trip a week (45 minutes) would help us out considerably.
Fundraisers/Events- We frequently hold fundraisers and events to raise money or awareness. Help is always an issue for these events and comes in many forms. There will usually be some kind of communication either on our website or be email alerting you of an upcoming event where helpers are needed. These events are crucial to our staying open and are usually fun to attend if you can help.
Grant Research/Writing- We currently have one or two people working on looking for grants but we have no one with real experience at it. If we could secure some larger funding it help in a large way. If you have any experience at researching grants or writing grant applications we need you badly.
Maintenance/Repair- If you have any type of building trade skills like carpentry, electrical , plumbing etc. or repair skills like vehicles, washers, dryers, etc. we can likely use you since things often need fixed, built or maintained.
Computer Work- If you can't leave your home and want to help we have mailings to do, thank you's to send, database development, internet postings, etc.that need to be done.
Public Relations - If you can report on our upcoming and past events and report them to the local news, we need you. You can also help promote us between events.
1) We need help loading the van (1 HR max)
2) Drive the transport van (All day job) Free trip to Joliet, Illinois if you know someone there. Return same day or wait till next to return.
3) Animals have to have pictures taken and short descriptions emailed to rescue director for acceptance with rescue groups (1 to 2 HRS a week)
Photography- We need someone who can go to Marion Animal Control once a week to take photographs (preferably digital images) of the dogs. These pictures are crucial for transport acceptance as well as posting for adoption and our own animal records. Amount of time is probably about 1 hour a week tops including submitting the photos.
Shelter Office- We still have holes and need backups for volunteers to keep the shelter open, answer the telephone and allow the public to look at animals. Volunteer as much or as little as possible for Sunday thru Saturday but try and cover at least 2 or 3 hours in a block if possible. Ideally, we would like to have enough people to stay open 7 days a week. 9 AM to 4:30 PM Monday thru Friday and 10 AM to 2 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 3 PM Sunday.
Animal Care- Caring for over 200 animals is a large job. We always need more volunteers for this. This involves cleaning cages, changing litter, providing food and water and checking on the animals.There are two shifts thru the day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning shift usually work from 8:30 AM to about 11-11:30 AM. The evening shift varies somewhat since it often depends on someone with a key having to be there to open up if no one is working the shelter office but it is usually around 4:30 PM or later. The evening shift work is not as extensive as the morning shift and usually takes less than 1 ½ hrs.
Animal Health- If you have training in animal care/health and know how to administer shots, do testing, take blood, etc. we need your help.
Drivers- There are a few needs here:
1) Rescue transport drive listed under transport category above.
2) Periodically, we need to move animals around. Trips to the vet and back for shots, tests, care, or spay/neutering. Animals are sometimes transferred to and from Marion Animal Control or our animal care person. This usually will only involve short periods of time and some driving. You need not handle the animals, they are moved in carriers but you might need a vehicle with some space in it.
3) We have access to free volunteer help in the form of Work Camp Trustees which have served us well and taken the load off of the morning crew considerably but they need transportation to and from the MRHS shelter and Marion Animal Control. Someone has to pick them up from between 7:30 and 8:30 AM and deliver them back at 2:30 to 3 PM. We have a vehicle which will carry all of them and we have been doing them in one trip now. All we need is a reliable driver to use our vehicle to go get them or take them back. If you come to the shelter and switch vehicles then go get them, drop them off and return back to the shelter it usually only takes 45 minutes. Doing only one trip a week (45 minutes) would help us out considerably.
Fundraisers/Events- We frequently hold fundraisers and events to raise money or awareness. Help is always an issue for these events and comes in many forms. There will usually be some kind of communication either on our website or be email alerting you of an upcoming event where helpers are needed. These events are crucial to our staying open and are usually fun to attend if you can help.
Grant Research/Writing- We currently have one or two people working on looking for grants but we have no one with real experience at it. If we could secure some larger funding it help in a large way. If you have any experience at researching grants or writing grant applications we need you badly.
Maintenance/Repair- If you have any type of building trade skills like carpentry, electrical , plumbing etc. or repair skills like vehicles, washers, dryers, etc. we can likely use you since things often need fixed, built or maintained.
Computer Work- If you can't leave your home and want to help we have mailings to do, thank you's to send, database development, internet postings, etc.that need to be done.
Public Relations - If you can report on our upcoming and past events and report them to the local news, we need you. You can also help promote us between events.
This is a listing of volunteer tasks that we need to fill out. Filling any of these positions would help take the load off of those that are now trying to do it all. Just volunteering for one task that only takes an hour or less will make a huge difference to us. If you can help on any of these tasks or have further questions please inquire by clicking here.