SHELTER STORIES

SHELTER STORIES Donation Gives Kittens A Bright Future

Thanks to a generous Georgetown couple, the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter’s kitten program is getting some much-needed help. Two animal lovers who fostered kittens and adopted adult cats recently donated $142,800 that was left in trust after their passing. “When they saw the efforts we made in providing for the dogs and cats in our care, they decided to leave a donation to us to continue their legacy,” says April Peiffer, community programs coordinator at the shelter. “In their letter advising us of their intent, they said, ‘We have watched over the years and have been impressed with the no-kill policy and the effort to care and treat these animals.’ "

April adds that it was an amazing surprise to receive this gift. “So much good will come from it, and we're excited to watch it be put to good use. The potential for even more life-saving is great!”

The donation will be used to help the shelter’s life-saving programs, starting with the one most in need at the moment, the Kitten Program. The Kitten Program consists of a maternity ward and kitten nursery, as well as kitten fosters and volunteers. When kittens are brought in, they go to the nursery for care while staff try to find fosters for them. Momma cats are kept with their kittens in the maternity ward. Kittens are then sent to foster homes, and the shelter helps with food, formula, and any supplies the fosters might need, if the shelter has them available to share.

“The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is extremely grateful for such a generous gift, and we hope the donors would have been proud of the life-saving work we will do with this donation,” April says. She adds that the shelter runs most of its programs through donations and are always in need as new animals are brought in daily. “We hope the community will think of us when donating or adopting. We have hundreds of animals to choose from, potential new family members to brighten days,” she says.

Learn more about the shelter’s life-saving work and how to help at pets.wilco.org.

When Peeps were invented—in 1953— it took approximately 27 hours to make one. They were each handmade with a pastry tube. Today they have machines that have sped up the process to just six minutes.

Contributed by April Peiffer WCRAS Community Programs Director

Tania Easton is about Children and the Community

First-time candidate Tania Easton spent months in reflection and prayer before discerning that running for School Board Trustee was what God wanted her to do, and what students in GISD really need. "I love kids and our community," she says, "I thrive on making an impact and I have a strong dislike for politics so it was a challenging decision, but my path is intentional. I have since met and spoken with many people who represent a wealth of knowledge and the consensus is that the job is simply to help our students."

EXPERIENCE

Tania has extensive experience with children and their development, and a track record that represents a lot of hard work for positive change. She has assumed leadership positions since 7th grade and has a degree in Child and Adolescent Studies with a minor in Human Services. Today, she is a Community Education specialist at the Children's Advocacy Center, PTA President at Tippit Middle School, and Community Education Chair on Council PTA.

When her family started at Tippit, she set about creating programs to improve its rankings and the education experience for all students. In partnership with parents, the PTA, and relevant Georgetown agencies, she instituted mental health days, SRO Nights, and a parenting group that met regularly to share and collaborate. "My husband and I became the change we wanted to see and now I want to help every school in Georgetown achieve a top tier rank."

FOR STUDENTS

Tania recognizes leaders always stand on the shoulders of those who came before; "I feel passionate about engaging the community and asking people what is important to them."

School Board Trustee Place 3 Candidate

"BOTH SIDES CAN ADMIT WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE ABOUT STAAR TESTING. IT IS A BROKEN CRITERION BUT THE STATE SAYS THIS IS OUR MEASURE. I BELIEVE OUR CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE MEASURED BY JUST ONE STANDARD. WE WILL COME TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON SCORES AND THE OTHER SUPERLATIVE PROGRAMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN OUR DISTRICT."

Tania says, "I myself am an advocate of multiple measures of success. When it comes to standards, the solution is not an 'or' but an 'and' so I am not running a campaign on test scores because they do not tell the entire story. I want to see our district implement and benefit from the Community Based Accountability program. Let's focus, together, on what we do well and what our opportunities for improvement are."

FOR TEACHERS

Tania believes, while no one goes into education to get rich, compensation is paramount for retention of those who want to help children. "I want teachers to know that we are listening and that when they speak they are actually driving change. We will engage all of our stakeholders when creating budgets and goals. If the people in the classroom are not happy, there is no mitigation that will make us stand out as a desirable district."

FOR COMMUNITY

Knowing that many issues have the potential to create controversy, Tania is committed to keeping politics out of the discussion. "Unity and earning the community's trust will mend that disconnect between what our education looks like on paper and what happens in the classroom. I want to focus on bridge building and transparency to show parents we care and are willing to do the hard work."

The bottom line, she says, is her passion sets her apart. "This is not something I'm doing but more about who I am and my track record, which shows I'm willing to do the hard work. I am committed to making change for the population I care most about, children."