Around the Region

BISSELL Pet Foundation and Dogtopia Team Up to "Empty the Shelters"

Satori Foundation and YMCA Partner to Provide Swimming and Sailing Lessons to Teens in Foster Care

with the YMCA of Northwest Florida and the Pensacola Yacht Club Satori Foundation.

A grant from the Satori Foundation is funding swim lessons at the Y for teens at Lakeview Center’s Arcadia Place and Cabot Heights, which serve teens in the foster care system who have experienced abuse or neglect and are struggling with mental health issues.

“This exciting partnership provides an opportunity that these teens wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to,” CEO of LifeView Group, Lakeview’s parent company, Allison Hill said.

“We try to expose these young people to different opportunities – giving them a snapshot of what could be,” Arcadia’s Behavioral Health Manager Donza Stanley said.

Learning to swim is the first step for the teens to earn the opportunity for a weeklong sailing camp with Satori. Beyond that, the Y is incentivizing the teens’ participation by offering lifeguard training and the pathway to a job on the Y’s aquatics team.

This first class is being led by veteran YMCA swim instructor Donna Steffensmeier. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know these wonderful teenagers, and I’ve seen them build their endurance in the water,” she explained. “I feel that this program can help develop useful skills and provide the opportunity to learn prerequisites for what will hopefully move towards lifeguarding class.”

BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, is excited to announce it will team up with Dogtopia for the foundation's first “Empty the Shelters” national adoption event of 2023. From May 1 to May 15, BISSELL Pet Foundation's Spring National “Empty the Shelters” will occur at more than 350 shelters in 45 states with pets available for adoption for just $5 or less, including Santa Rosa County Animal Services (SRCAS).

SRCAS will participate May 1- 15 at 4451 Pine Forest Road in Milton offering $5 adoption fees for cats and dogs. Anyone interested in adoption can view all available animals online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/animals.

Since the 2016 inception of BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters,” nearly 140,000 pets at 605 animal welfare organizations in 47 states and Canada have received second chances. An average of 1,000 shelter pets are adopted each day during each quarterly national event. Through this partnership and continued support, the foundation is looking forward to reaching more pets in more shelters and communities during this upcoming event.

"BISSELL Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters is proven to make a lifesaving difference, and we are thrilled to team up with Dogtopia, who shares our vision to give every pet their best life," Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation Cathy Bissell aid. "This is a very difficult time for shelters across the country, with increasing owner surrenders due to the housing crisis and inflation as well as slowed adoption rates. With Dogtopia's partnership, we are hopeful more pets than ever will find homes during this national event."

SRCAS has participated in this event several times over the last few years and has seen many animals find their forever homes through these events. "We love participating in the BISSELL Pet Foundation's "Empty the Shelters’ to provide reduced adoption fees for our community," Santa Rosa County Animal Services Chief Randy Lambert said. "We love seeing animals find their families and these events help make it possible."

BISSELL Pet Foundation urges families to do their research about the pet they are interested in adopting, as well as adoption requirements. For more information on adopting or donating to Empty the Shelters, visit bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters or santarosa.fl.gov/animals.

Teens living in two Lakeview Center foster care group homes now have an opportunity to take swimming and sailing lessons thanks to a partnership

According to Alan McMillan, president of the Satori Foundation, the group has taken about 1,000 youth out on the water since its inception in 2015, using sailing to explore STEM, marine biology and more. But to go through the weeklong sailing camp, a participant must be able to swim. “What we learned quickly is that kids wanted to do it, but they couldn’t swim,” McMillan explained. “We started seeing swimming as a core part of our mission. Now we look forward to working together with the Y for years to come.”

At Arcadia Place and Cabot Heights, specialized caregivers work to support the teens’ recovery, health and well-being, preparing them for living in a family setting or in an independent environment. Some teens stay in the homes longer than two years before aging out of the foster care system. The partners hope this program will build on teens’ self-esteem and impart important safety information for living in a region with many water-based activities. In addition to lessons, swimsuits also will be provided to teens who can’t afford them.

“When we’re looking at partnerships, we want to be a convener,” YMCA CEO Michael Bodenhausen said. “It takes multiple organizations working together to make the community better."

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