Have you ever felt sad that you couldn’t help the animals at the ARL because you weren’t able to adopt right now? Local animal advocate Brynn initially felt that way too, but she quickly realized you don’t have to take a pet home to have a lasting impact on shelter pets. After learning about our shelter being at critical capacity several times throughout this year, she decided she wanted to do something to change the lives of shelter pets in her community. Together, with her family, they came up with an incredible idea: they would put together their very own donation drive for the animals at ARL. With a goal of getting 50 toys donated to the shelter, Brynn and her family exceeded their goal and helped ARL provide over 80 toys for animals in need – all thanks to the help of her family and friends!
We asked Brynn to share her experience putting together her own donation drive to inspire others who want to step up for animals at ARL.
Why did you choose to donate toys to ARL?
I have my own ARL alumnus at home, Moo Moo, who has always carried a toy with her wherever she goes. I’ve found that toys are Moo Moo’s security, and they are what provided her an extra layer of comfort when she first came home with us. So when we decided to put together a donation drive, I thought of how life-changing a toy can be for animals at the shelter, and I wanted to give other pets that same comfort Moo Moo had when she came home.
How did you get the donations, and how difficult was it putting the fundraiser together?
We asked friends and family to help donate toys using social media and an Amazon wish list. I would say putting together the wish list was one of the most time-consuming elements of the drive, and even that was relatively simple. The ARL already has wish lists on their website you can share in case you don’t want to make one from scratch like we did, which is great. Incredibly, within one week of sharing about the drive, we already surpassed our goal of 50 toys! People were so excited to help and even sent in more than one item at a time. A few friends also shared our posts which also made a big impact.
How did people respond to being asked to donate to your donation drive?
I was really glad that people were just excited to help – There was no pressure for anyone to commit to donating, and nobody felt offended by us asking for a donation by any means. It was amazing to see how many other friends and family care about the animals just as much as we do!
I also want to mention that this fundraiser was a great opportunity to plant seeds in the minds of our loved ones who may wish to support ARL down the road. Many of them had never been asked to donate before, so it hadn’t crossed their minds of how they could personally impact the life of a shelter pet until then. I think this drive inspired a lot of people to realize they can make a difference, and every single donation matters.
What advice do you have for other animal advocates who are considering putting together a donation drive for ARL?
I can personally say from experience that putting together a donation drive like this is so easy and fun, and it is a low commitment project with a high impact. We also had a great time reading the notes that came in with each gift, it was almost like getting a present in the mail! The important thing is making it convenient for others to help by using tools like Amazon’s wish list, on top of sharing gratitude with those who are able to contribute is so incredibly invaluable. And of course, don’t forget to have fun!
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If you are thinking about starting your own personal fundraiser for ARL, we would love to help you make it a success! Please contact Alison Kleinsmith at akleinsmith@berksarl.org or 610-621-4576 to learn more about how we can support you in your fundraising efforts. We would love to brainstorm ideas and invite you to the shelter for a tour to learn how much impact your support makes on the everyday care of our shelter pets!
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