{ 2:27 PM on 'Hand2Paw Connects Homeless Youth And Animals' }
May 26, 2011
Rachel Cohen, Hand2Paw Founder and Executive Director. Photo Credit: Hand2Paw
(ANIMAL WELFARE) PENNSYLVANIA — Rachel Cohen founded Hand2Paw less than two years ago to bring together homeless youth and animals and create a place for each to get training — job skills for the people, and obedience training for the animals. A natural result is a therapeutic experience for both as the love goes both ways. Read on to discover the impact H2P has had on its members in Philadelphia, and how you can start up your own chapter. Cohen already has plans to open another chapter in New York this summer! — Global Animal Rachel Cohen Hand2Paw Founder and Executive Director Hand2Paw Connects Homeless Youth And Animals
Hand2Paw, launched less than 18 months ago to link up some of Philadelphia’s homeless young people with some of the city’s homeless animals, just last month added another Philly youth organization and shelter to its reach, and there’s talk of reaching out to additional cities next year.
The mastermind behind all this? Rachel Cohen, a 20-year-old biology major at the University of Pennsylvania, whose efforts were recognized last month when she won first place in the national Students in Service Awards. The $2,500 grant that comes with the honor will be used to create some paid internships this summer for the homeless youths who do their H2P thing at Philly shelters.
The non-profit was born of a “community living” course class assignment a couple of years back. Cohen had learned, to her dismay, that about one-fourth of the foster children who “age out” of the system at 18 years old (meaning no one gets paid for taking care of them any more) are left homeless (because without those payments, interest in providing a home vaporizes). An animal lover aware of the huge pet overpopulation problem in the city, Cohen imagined there must be a way for the homeless young people and homeless animals to help each other. Once the class was done, Cohen networked, grunt-worked and detail-worked the concept into reality.
When the program first began, the homeless youth, ages 18 to 22, came from Covenant House Pennsylvania, a 55-bed crisis center. Now a second facility — Project H.O.M.E. — has been added. The animals they do their volunteer work with are from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society and the Philadelphia SPCA. Cohen calls it a “therapeutic experience” for the young people and animals alike. Moreover, the youths become “anti-cruelty voices” when they finish their time with the animals and return to hanging with their peers.
When the program first started, the young people visited a couple of times a month for two hours, during which they walked the dogs, spent time socializing dogs and cats, and did cleanup and bathing. Now it’s every week, and their responsibilities have expanded to include some basic training since, along the way, Cohen sought and received funding from DoSomething.org to hire a dog trainer who instructs the kids in how to teach the dogs simple commands, read their signals and have a better understanding of their needs.
Also along the way, the vet school at Penn supplied the trainees with scrubs so they don’t ruin the few clothes they have when mucking about with the animals
“The kids get some professional skills and have some fun — something many of them don’t get enough of,” says Cohen. “The animals get much-needed attention and obedience training,” which makes the shelter stay a little less stressful and improves their chances of enticing someone into adopting them more quickly.
The participating youths — five to eight of them visit the shelters every week — are developing work skills and behavior patterns that help them become employable, Cohen says. One of the youths, who worked with the program since its beginning, “found his passion,” she says, and was, in fact, so impressive in his devotion to the animals that he was recently hired to work in a pet boutique.
Cohen is confident the idea can work in any city with homeless youth, so H2P has placed on its website tips for folks around the country who hear about the program and want to start one.
What’s next? H2P will continue, she says, maybe even operating in nearby cities.
Professionally, Cohen is still somewhat undecided. She’s likely to pursue medicine, but whether that will be of the animal or human variety remains to be seen.
Visit their webpage!
Monday, December 26, 2011
{ 2:27 PM on 'Hand2Paw Connects Homeless Youth And Animals' }
May 26, 2011
Rachel Cohen, Hand2Paw Founder and Executive Director. Photo Credit: Hand2Paw
(ANIMAL WELFARE) PENNSYLVANIA — Rachel Cohen founded Hand2Paw less than two years ago to bring together homeless youth and animals and create a place for each to get training — job skills for the people, and obedience training for the animals. A natural result is a therapeutic experience for both as the love goes both ways. Read on to discover the impact H2P has had on its members in Philadelphia, and how you can start up your own chapter. Cohen already has plans to open another chapter in New York this summer! — Global Animal Rachel Cohen Hand2Paw Founder and Executive Director Hand2Paw Connects Homeless Youth And Animals
Hand2Paw, launched less than 18 months ago to link up some of Philadelphia’s homeless young people with some of the city’s homeless animals, just last month added another Philly youth organization and shelter to its reach, and there’s talk of reaching out to additional cities next year.
The mastermind behind all this? Rachel Cohen, a 20-year-old biology major at the University of Pennsylvania, whose efforts were recognized last month when she won first place in the national Students in Service Awards. The $2,500 grant that comes with the honor will be used to create some paid internships this summer for the homeless youths who do their H2P thing at Philly shelters.
The non-profit was born of a “community living” course class assignment a couple of years back. Cohen had learned, to her dismay, that about one-fourth of the foster children who “age out” of the system at 18 years old (meaning no one gets paid for taking care of them any more) are left homeless (because without those payments, interest in providing a home vaporizes). An animal lover aware of the huge pet overpopulation problem in the city, Cohen imagined there must be a way for the homeless young people and homeless animals to help each other. Once the class was done, Cohen networked, grunt-worked and detail-worked the concept into reality.
When the program first began, the homeless youth, ages 18 to 22, came from Covenant House Pennsylvania, a 55-bed crisis center. Now a second facility — Project H.O.M.E. — has been added. The animals they do their volunteer work with are from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society and the Philadelphia SPCA. Cohen calls it a “therapeutic experience” for the young people and animals alike. Moreover, the youths become “anti-cruelty voices” when they finish their time with the animals and return to hanging with their peers.
When the program first started, the young people visited a couple of times a month for two hours, during which they walked the dogs, spent time socializing dogs and cats, and did cleanup and bathing. Now it’s every week, and their responsibilities have expanded to include some basic training since, along the way, Cohen sought and received funding from DoSomething.org to hire a dog trainer who instructs the kids in how to teach the dogs simple commands, read their signals and have a better understanding of their needs.
Also along the way, the vet school at Penn supplied the trainees with scrubs so they don’t ruin the few clothes they have when mucking about with the animals
“The kids get some professional skills and have some fun — something many of them don’t get enough of,” says Cohen. “The animals get much-needed attention and obedience training,” which makes the shelter stay a little less stressful and improves their chances of enticing someone into adopting them more quickly.
The participating youths — five to eight of them visit the shelters every week — are developing work skills and behavior patterns that help them become employable, Cohen says. One of the youths, who worked with the program since its beginning, “found his passion,” she says, and was, in fact, so impressive in his devotion to the animals that he was recently hired to work in a pet boutique.
Cohen is confident the idea can work in any city with homeless youth, so H2P has placed on its website tips for folks around the country who hear about the program and want to start one.
What’s next? H2P will continue, she says, maybe even operating in nearby cities.
Professionally, Cohen is still somewhat undecided. She’s likely to pursue medicine, but whether that will be of the animal or human variety remains to be seen.
Keepcats started are a group of students who aim to change the society's mindset of strays and animals.
When the projected ended, we disbanded in a way but the remaining members gathered some animal lovers to help with sterilisation and rehoming
Dedicated to raise awareness for animals
C.A.T.S - Care for Animals in The Society.
Although we have a really catty name but we care for all animals, including dogs, hamsters, tigers, snakes. No creature should be denied of an existance on Earth
We are an unregistered non-profit organisation and we do not have a shelter. All the animals listed are fostered by the volunteers themselves
Recruitment
We always need members! Fill this in if you are up to the challenge!
Name:
Contact:
Helping with:
Residential area: (No need to provide exact address, just ang mo kio, jurong, etc will do)
Positions available:
Adoption Foster (taking care of kittens while waiting for them to be adopted out)
Temporary Foster (taking care of cats/other animals during their recovery period after sterilisation/surgery)
Sponsor/Donors: (Providing Financial help for sterilisation of cats, medical bills )
Event volunteers (help with events, eg manning of booths)
Transportation: Help to transport cats to, for example, the vet's
Our Success Cases
Sterilised 147 (45 during Spay Day) cats and rehomed 66 cats as of 9 August 2011.
Sterilised 16 dogs (industrial park at Sungei Dakut) as of 9 August 2011. Every 2 SPCA voucher of the month goes to the dogs
Witnessed 6 cats adopted (Helping to post adoption from our site but not under our projects)-
Prince, Manja, Tigger, Power Twins, Stephanie's kitty
Sterilisation
12 cats At AMK Block 777 ( this is not the actual block )
14 cats At AMK Block X09
4 cats at Toa Payoh block X15
10 cats on XX Dec 2010
20 cats from Jan 2011 - April 2011
Individuals: Sunlovemoon's mummy, Changi pregnant cat, Tangerine, Grandmother cat, Hermosa, 3 Hermosa kits, Siamsiah's cat, Siamsiah's friend's 3 cats.
Cats for Adoption
More information will be provided on their individual blogpost
Adoption is free but a $80 sterilisation fee is to be paid upon adoption. This is merely for the sterilisation of the kittens and not adoption itself.
There will be 2 separate contract that you have to sign when if you were to adopt our cats.
Fosters may like to post their cats for adoption on our site too
Scroll down for more information
Half Cardigan
In Stock: 1
Price: SGD $40.00 (UP $49.90)
Never worn before
Our expenditures - updated 19 November 2011
Donations 2009
2010g
Balance
..............................................
Total donations minus Total expenses
2009: $124.50
2010: $-3747.20
Total: -$3871.70
$
- note that for negative, we are dipping into our own pocket for funding aka borne by members -
g