[nagdu] Something a little off topic

Julie McGinnity kaybaycar at gmail.com
Fri May 27 19:52:53 UTC 2011


Hi Lyn.

Thank you for sharing.  That sounds so cool!  I think I will look into
it.  I have a feeling Brie would pass those tests just fine, and she
would love being in a program like that.  Very awesome!

On 5/27/11, Lyn Gwizdak <linda.gwizdak at cox.net> wrote:
> Hi Julie G.,
> Yeah, try your Humane society to see if they have a Pet Assisted therapy
> program. I have had no problems with being blind - everyone was so open
> minded and welcomed us with open arms!
>
> What we do is that there is a group of at least two people who make the
> twice daily visits to hundreds of facilities for seniors, kids, and disabled
> folks.  We bring a rabbit, two guinea pigs, two rats, and a dog.  The dogs
> belong to many of the volunteers as I do or they use one the PAT program has
> screened and has for the program.
>
> To do this, I had to first become a volunteer with the Humane Society - go
> to the Volunteer Orientations required. Go to your Humane Society's website
> and see when they have the Orientation next.  I had to have Landon certified
> to be a therapy dog at the Humane Society.  He had to take the Canine Good
> Citizen Test plus another one the PAT progrom gives.  I think I paid about
> $75.00 for this but Landon didn't need the training for it because he passed
> it with no problem.  He also passed the other one where they will tug on his
> hears, tail, pet him wierdly as if done by a person without good hand
> control.
>
> Because Landon is a guide dog, they slightly modified the test because I
> needed Landon to have a slight bit of tension on the leash so I would know
> where he was in relation to myself.  the test requires a loose leash at all
> times.  He had to behave when they walked a dog near us as well.
>
> Landon and I are treated just like any of the other hundreds of volunteers
> in the program.  Getting to the facilities is no problem since we take the
> van and animals to the place we are visiting that day.  this is how it goes
> for everyone in the program with the exception of a few people who drive to
> the place themselves and meet us there at the place. I take the bus and
> trolley to the Humane Society.  One of the other people obviously will drive
> the van.
>
> All the animals in the program live in a little room off the Volunteer
> Office where there are lockers to put our personal stuff in if we want.
> Also the sign in sheets are there in the appropriate notebooks.  There are
> clean aprons with name tags and the vest for the dogs to wear.  I take my
> apron, name tag, and vest home and wash them myself so I don't have to hunt
> a clean one down or find my name in the box of name tags.
>
> The animals aren't even scared of Landon at all.  they are so used to the
> dogs or cats that go on the visits that they don't care about the dogs.
> Each animal we use gets screened for health and temporament and stay in the
> program for about six months or so.  When they finish with us, they go out
> on the Adoption Floor to get their "forever" homes.  they get homes quick
> because the people know that the animal was in the PAT program and know that
> it is a nice animal.
>
> So, go check out your Humane Society!  The PAT program is the best for a
> blind person and guide dog.  I do my visits twice a month because I also do
> the once a month program at the Naval Medical Center of San Diego as well as
> other things in my life!
>
> HTH!
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Julie McGinnity" <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 3:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Something a little off topic
>
>
> Oh wow...  Lyn, that's the kind of thing I would love to do.  I love
> animals and would love to work with the Humane Society.  I need to
> look and see if our Humane Society has a program like that.  I always
> figured they just wouldn't let me volunteer with the dog because of
> the issues with the animals they have.
>
> I've done volunteer work with kids, and I've set up a braille library
> at our local Delta Gamma Center, but the thing I've always wanted to
> do is work with animals in some way.  Doing things out in the
> community with animals sounds like the perfect thing.
>
> On 5/26/11, Lyn Gwizdak <linda.gwizdak at cox.net> wrote:
>> I do community service with Landon. We volunteer with the Humane Society
>> and
>> Landon and I are the first disabled person/service dog team to be in the
>> program.  they have had puppy raisers in it though but don't know if there
>> are any in currently.  We go to many different places for disabled people,
>> seniors, school kids and bring other animals with us.
>>
>> I think it is great for blind and disabled people to do volunteer work in
>> the community.  It shows the public that we are capable of participating
>> in
>> our communities and they get to know us as people first, disability
>> second.
>>
>> Great Dar for your baking things for your church and homeless shelters and
>> Buddy B. for work in your fraternity.  the more of us out there the better
>> it is for us and society in general - breaking down the barriers to our
>> full
>> inclusion in life.
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 8:06 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Something a little off topic
>>
>>
>>> Julie Dar here,
>>> I moved from Denver to Billings, where I got started with the ladies of
>>> charity.
>>> I bake breads for the Lenten season, as well as banana breads in the
>>> winter for Christmas breads for the poor.
>>> This is given to the mens shelter as well as the womens shelter.
>>> I also bake desserts for many of the funerals that take place.
>>> At this time I am the only total who goes to our church in the ladies
>>> group that says we will help.
>>> Of course Jim is also involved with church.
>>> More going than doing anything for them.
>>> We just got done with the ladies tea party.
>>> and yes my dog was with me.
>>> Just wanted to share.
>>>
>>> Original message:
>>>> Hi.  No...  I really doubt it.  I go to a liberal arts college with
>>>> about 3 fraternities.  This is a group that a few of us are starting
>>>> within the NFB.  We are hoping to draw members.  I have the job of
>>>> sending out the emails.  I am the outreach person.  We are hoping to
>>>> start this group, so we can do some community service projects within
>>>> and outside the NFB.
>>>
>>>> On 5/25/11, Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> wrote:
>>>>> Hi Julie,
>>>
>>>>> If you really are interested in community service, does your university
>>>>> have
>>>>> a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity? If it does, I
>>>>> definitely
>>>>> recommend pledging. My APO bros are some of the awesomest people I
>>>>> know.
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh,
>>>>> and yes, it is a co-ed fraternity.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>> On May 25, 2011, at 9:56 PM, Julie McGinnity wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> Hi everyone.  I'm passing this along for anyone who is interested.
>>>>>> How do you feel about community service? Do you volunteer your time
>>>>>> once in a while in the community or with your local church and want to
>>>>>> find other blind individuals to connect with? Do you find community
>>>>>> service interesting but are not sure that you as a blind person can
>>>>>> get involved or don’t know how to begin?
>>>
>>>>>> Here's your opportunity!
>>>
>>>>>> We are a small group of people interested in doing community service.
>>>>>> We enjoy giving back , and we believe that it is important for blind
>>>>>> people to get involved in the community.
>>>
>>>>>> So if you enjoy community service, or if you are interested in
>>>>>> possibly doing some community service work in the future, please join
>>>>>> us!  We are always welcoming new members.
>>>
>>>>>> We hold monthly conference calls during which we present a topic for
>>>>>> discussion or have a guest speaker talk about his/her community
>>>>>> service experiences.  We also have a blog where we post summaries of
>>>>>> our conference calls and welcome personal stories about the service
>>>>>> work people like you do. We even have a list serve that allows us to
>>>>>> connect, share stories, ask questions, and post articles/announcements
>>>>>> about topics of interest related to community service.
>>>
>>>>>> Our blog is located at http://nfbcommunityservice.wordpress.com/.
>>>
>>>>>> Or join our list serve by going to
>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.orgg.
>>>
>>>>>> Please feel free to contact us at nfbcsoutreach at gmail.com if you have
>>>>>> any questions or  new ideas or wish to get involved.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Julie McG
>>>>>> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
>>>>>> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
>>>>>> Eyes for the Blind
>>>
>>>>>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>>>>>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>>>>>> life."
>>>>>> John 3:16
>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
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>>>
>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Julie McG
>>>>  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
>>>> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
>>>> Eyes for the Blind
>>>
>>>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>>>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>>>> life."
>>>> John 3:16
>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>> nagdu:
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>>>
>>> --
>>> --Dar
>>> skype: dmgina23
>>>  FB: dmgina
>>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>>> every saint has a past
>>> every sinner has a future
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Julie McG
>  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
> Eyes for the Blind
>
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
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>
>
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-- 
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
Eyes for the Blind

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16




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