Valley Volunteers 2018 by Teton Media Works, Inc.

Volunteers Valley

April 11, 2018

A supplement to the Jackson Hole News&Guide

GIVING

BACK

KEEPS SENIORS YOUNG Benefits are plentiful for senior citizens who volunteer. See page 6.

INSIDE A run for the money

Thousands of people have brought in millions of dollars during Old Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fun Run. See page 5

Waiting for emergencies

Many people at Jackson Hole Fire/EMS drop their work to save lives. See page 14

Hot meals, delivered with love

Meals on Wheels is the next best thing to home cooking for many homebound people. See page 16 BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Tim Griffith, a volunteer for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, replaces bird boxes recently on the fence bordering the National Elk Refuge. The organization is replacing more than 100 of the boxes, which have been in use for almost 15 years. See page 6.

2 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

From the Editor W

JULY 20-29, 2018

Thank you to the many volunteers that continue to contribute their time and effort to the Teton County Fair. Your hard work is truly appreciated. If you are interested in volunteering at Fair this year, please contact the Fair Office at 733-5289.

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www.jacksonhole.younglife.org 344255

ith over 200 nonprofits in the valley, volunteerism is large part of our community fabric and a point of pride for many who live here. We’ve all seemed to find our niche organizations and there’s certainly no shortage of opportunity to give back in Jackson Hole. Nor a shortage of need to keep our nonprofit community ticking. In this year’s Valley Volunteers, we blended trend stories with highlights on specific organizations in town. We also wanted to make it easy to lend a hand, should the stories we share inspire you to do so. Look for boxes with the “helping hand” logo, which will point you to more info and how to sign up to help. The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole is also making it easy to connect with organizations with a new page that rounds up all the latest nonprofit needs. You can check out what’s available at CFJacksonHole.org/volunteer-jh. Once again, the Valley Volunteer section showcases a “Super Volunteer,” the second time we’ve taken on the grueling challenge of picking out just one from a competitive pool of nominations. This year we chose Sophie Craighead, someone who I was fortunate enough to interview for the story on page 3. Her life story is far too long to include in its entirety (I’d need a book for that) but the core of the story seeks to capture what made her our 2018 pick. She feels blessed by what she was given in this life — both triumphs and trials — and she seeks to offer a return on those gifts. As she put it, “to be able to volunteer is really a gift. It’s a gift of time and it’s a gift of love, but the rewards are just so fulfilling.” While there can only be one Super Volunteer, all of those who were nominated deserve our thanks. One dedicated volunteer can have a ripple effect around them, changing the

lives of all of those in their wake. Those who are listed below have been nominated for their important and impactful contributions, and are to be commended for giving our community their time, energy and hearts. Hats off to all of you. • Chance Abel Jackson Hole Fire/EMS • Joe Burke Teton Literacy Center • Kevin Coughlin 21st Century Heroes • Judy Dragonette Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association • Gigi Halloran National Museum of Wildlife Art • Dawn Hummel Community Entry Services • Patti Mailly Horse Warriors • Nancy McCarthy Teton County Library and National Museum of Wildlife Art • Lindsey Parr Jackson Hole Young Life • Cathy Poindexter Jackson Hole Cupboard • Patti Roser Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area • Lori Roux Hole Food Rescue • Leo Sanchez-Serrano Jackson Hole Fire/EMS • Jenn Sparks GAP, Teton County Search and Rescue, Jackson Hole Land Trust • Dabney West Teton Literacy Center • Mike Wierda Teton Literacy Center • Isabel Zumel Wyoming Humanities Deputy Editor Melissa Cassutt is always looking for new or unique stories of volunteerism in Jackson Hole. Please reach out to share your stories. Contact her at 732-7076, valley@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGvalley.

Special supplement written, produced and printed by the Jackson Hole News&Guide Publisher: Kevin Olson Associate Publisher: Adam Meyer Editor: Johanna Love Managing Editor: Richard Anderson Deputy Editor: Melissa Cassutt Layout and Design: Kathryn Holloway, Andy Edwards Photographers: Bradly J. Boner, Ryan Dorgan, Amber Baesler Copy Editors: Jennifer Dorsey, Mark Huffman, Tom Hallberg Features: Melissa Cassutt, Kelsey Dayton, Jennifer Dorsey, Allie Gross, Tom Hallberg, Isa Jones, Mike Koshmrl, Kylie Mohr, Emily Mieure, John Spina

Thanks to Our Volunteers! We appreciate all the AmeriCorps members, board members and other volunteers who have donated their time to support the Teton Science Schools’ mission to inspire curiosity, engagement and leadership through transformative place-based education.

Advertising Sales: Karen Brennan, Tom Hall, Chad Repinski, Megan LaTorre, Oliver O’Connor Advertising Coordinator: Maggie Gabruk Creative Director: Sarah Wilson Advertising Design: Lydia Redzich, Ben Shafer, Taylor Ann Smith Pressroom Manager: Chuck Pate Pre-press: Jeff Young Post Press Supervisor: Charles R. Pate Pressmen: Dale Fjeldsted, Steve Livingston, Dayton Fjeldsted Office Manager: Kathleen Godines Customer Service Managers: Lucia Perez, Rudy Perez Circulation Manager: Kyra Griffin Circulation: Hank Smith, Jeff Young, Mark Whitaker

www.tetonscience.org 344824

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 3

COURTESY PHOTO

Sophie Craighead has logged a lot of volunteer hours in the valley, both with boots on the ground and on boards. A longtime animal lover, she had a hand in starting Lucky’s Place, an animal shelter in Star Valley whose name was inspired by this sleeping golden retriever, a rescue who is now 16 1/2.

Life of service is life well lived

Animals, people are the heart of Craighead’s work. By Melissa Cassutt

ike many things in Sophie Craighead’s life, the venture started with a dog. Lucky was a golden retriever, which honestly would have been enough to capture her heart. She grew up with goldens, which traveled in packs around the childhood home she shared with four siblings. Lucky was a special case, though, having been found neglected and chained outside alongside another golden. Mary Ann Ahrens was the one who got her locked onto the situation, which pulled at Craighead’s heartstrings. The women orchestrated the rescue of the dogs — a $50 payment to the owner — and Craighead became their foster parent. She named them Lucky and Rusty. “Dogs have always been the source of my soul,” said Craighead, 67. “I have always felt that dogs helped people.” Known in the animal welfare industry as a “foster failure,” Craighead predictably kept the animals. Rusty died five years ago. Lucky, now 16 1/2, is part of a five-dog pack running around Kelly these days. Lucky’s Place soon became the moniker for the shelter that Craighead and Ahrens launched, which took on the formal name of the Animal Humane Association of Star Valley. Ahrens heads the organization (see story on page 18).

Best of the best Craighead was named the News&Guide’s 2018 Super Volunteer for her body of volunteer work, which also includes counseling with the women in treatment at the CurranSeeley Foundation, the organization that nominated her for the honor. She also was a founding board member of the Jackson Hole Community School and has served on other local and national boards. Volunteerism has been a large part of Craighead’s life and a lot of what she credits for helping her find her way her way in life. Volunteering, in many ways, is her life. Craighead was born on the East Coast, growing up about an hour out-

side New York City in Far Hills, New nels and walking dogs. She got sober. The biggest change came when Jersey. Her father, a businessman, started Engelhard Corporation, a for- she spent time in prison. Not for any mer Fortune 500 company specializing crime of her own. Her old veterinarian on the East in precious metals. He and her mom, Jane Engelhard, were “very big into Coast reached out to her, needing a conservation,” especially focused on Af- hand to help at a spay and neuter program he was running for the Lorton rican conservation. When Craighead was a child her Correctional Complex in Washington, family’s love of animals gave her access D.C. He needed a hand with the hunto a small menagerie, mostly dogs and dreds of cats on the prison grounds. The spay/neuter program eventually horses. Craighead attended Georgetown’s rolled into the Pal Project, a program School of Foreign Service, and after that pairs inmates with pets. “There was that human-animal graduation in 1972 landed a job on bond. They found Capitol Hill with love or they recogU.S. Sen. Mike nized unconditionMansfield, Dal love,” she said. Montana. Like “That was sort of many of her the beginning of classmates she my volunteering.” joined protests of The work the Vietnam War. snowballed into “The protests work with the were awesome,” Delta Society, she said. ‘It was — Curran-Seeley client now known as Pet really the first speaking about volunteer sophie craighead Partners, where time you found Craighead had a a cause — that hand in writing there was somethe rules for serthing you really didn’t like. When your friends go off to vice and therapy dogs. “That was when I realized how much war at 17 or 18 it was just a terrible of a difference you can make even just thing.” She completed a master’s in pub- being a volunteer,” she said. “I was seelic administration from the Kennedy ing how the animals helped people — School of Government in 1977. But the elderly and especially the lonely.” though she loved politics, she found herself looking for something else. Heart for those who struggle Her contributions to animal welShe worked for her father’s company; launched a clothing store with two fare earned her an honorary doctorate friends from college. She working on from the Colorado State University Walter Mondale’s 1984 presidential College of Veterinary Medicine and campaign against Ronald Reagan. Biomedical Sciences in 2012. Her work with animals inspired her Nothing was really clicking, at least, to branch out, to work with people — esnot long term. She was 33, dating a professional pecially those suffering from drug and athlete and drinking too much. She alcohol addiction, something she struggled with herself in her younger years. needed a change. Her work with Curran-Seeley, “I decided, ‘Well, I’m going to move which provides drug and alcohol counto Sun Valley, Idaho,’” she said. She wanted her life to have more seling, began after she moved to Kelly meaning, “be of service.” She packed up with her husband, Derek. (They have four dogs — “or maybe I had five then” two kids, Scotty and Sage.) Fourteen — and made the move. years ago she attended a treatment session as a guest speaker, popping Must love dogs in to talk about her personal journey. She got into shelter work in Idaho, She kept coming back, finding a new volunteering her time cleaning ken- topic to discuss, a new way to connect

“Every time she comes in it’s like a hug from someone who really cares.”

with the women. “Basically I got into Curran-Seeley once a week and just try to get the ladies to know they are not their past. The possibilities are unlimited for their future. They just have to envision what it is they want for themselves,” she said. “I love those girls.” The feeling is mutual. In a nomination letter to the News&Guide, clients in the treatment program provided the following testimonials about their work with. While the News&Guide does not typically allow source anonymity, the following was submitted anonymously due to the nature of the treatment provided by Curran-Seeley. “Her examples, the conflicts she has faced, is a way people like myself can reflect and become stronger through the acknowledgment of common mistakes,” one woman wrote. “Even in time, with past mistakes, the light of good shines through. Sophie is kind, loving, empathetic, and absolutely wonderful. She has taught many people including myself — with pain you find peace. That is so relevant to many aspects of our lives.” Another woman wrote, “When Sophie comes to volunteer her time I never feel like she’s here as a volunteer. She genuinely cares about the group of women. Sharing and listening to each and every one of us is truly amazing. Every time she comes in it’s like a hug from someone who really cares.” Curran-Seeley Marketing Manager Tricia Clarke, who nominated Craighead for Super Volunteer on behalf of the organization, said Craighead’s weekly contribution have had a ripple effect in the community. “Sophie’s wisdom and grace not only touches each person she works with at Curran-Seeley Foundation, but the families, friends and employers of each of them,” Clarke said. Craighead sees it more simply. She was given a lot of blessings, and she wants to pass that on to others. “To be able to volunteer is really a gift,” she said. “It’s a gift of time, and it’s a gift of love, but the rewards are just so fulfilling.” Contact Melissa Cassutt at 732-7076, valley@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGvalley.

4 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

THANK YOU Citizens Mounted Unit

For countless hours of volunteering

in an effort to keep Jackson safe and informed! Interested in becoming a volunteer member of the Citizens Mounted Unit? Contact Sergeant Russ Ruschill with the Jackson Police Department at 307-733-1430 New member training begins soon! 344115

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 5

Building character and bringing in cash Generous people make the community better.

The road to Old Bill’s

By Tom Hallberg

ackson’s nonprofit leaders agree on one thing: The community is filled with generous people. At a summit on philanthropy in March, Charture Institute Executive Director Jonathan Schechter said nonprofits offer a unique kind of assistance. “The realm of nonprofits is the services that are not profitable for businesses to provide and that fall outside the purview of government,” he said. One way to provide services that don’t generate a profit is to rely on charitable giving. But some nonprofits offer labor-intensive services, meaning they must rely on volunteers. For those organizations it can be hard to pin down what success looks like. The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities brings together the two pillars of the nonprofit sector, philanthropy and volunteerism. Around 200 nonprofits participate, and donors are offered a match on some of the money they give. The event is impressive for the amount of money it raises — $12.17 million in 2017 — but also for the sheer number of people who get involved. “We had about 1 in 3 households participate,” said Annie Riddell, who coordinates Old Bill’s. “And we have between 300 and 375 volunteers each year.” For just Old Bill’s the Community Foundation used 350 volunteers who put in 1,915 hours of service in 2017. And that spirit of giving plays out every day for many nonprofits. Hannah Cooley, director of operations at Hole Food Rescue, said the nonprofit could not survive without the raft of volunteers who drive around town picking up food from grocery stores and organizing it in Hole Food Rescue’s storage kitchen. “We have about 55 shifts a week, about one to two hours each, that need to be filled with volunteers,” she said. Hole Food Rescue has about 85 volunteers, though Cooley said it could use more. The nonprofit’s website says it uses about 80 volunteer hours a week, which equates to around 4,000 hours each year. The story is the same at other local nonprofits. Elizabeth Ferguson, outreach coordinator for Habitat for Humanity,

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities comes at the close of a six-week communitywide giving period that collects, on average, donations from 1 in 3 valley households

wrote in an email to the News&Guide that her organization receives about 3,000 hours from 500 volunteers. She called them “the heart and muscle of our organization.” According to Teton County Library’s annual report, 175 active volunteers put in 9,475 hours working on programs like running its Book Nook store and assisting with events such as the recent reading by children’s author Todd Parr. On top of the numbers, several common themes seem to explain the prevalence of volunteerism in Tetons. Nonprofit leaders agreed that it is simply part of the community fabric, but they gave several reasons why their specific organizations were appealing. “People just love the library,” said Maria Hayashida, the library’s volunteer coordinator. “And they love being around books.” Other organizations offer their volunteers the chance to see tangible benefits in the community. Cooley from Hole Food Rescue said that is true of her volunteers. “They feel the work they do is valuable,” she said. “They get to see the boxes of food either being delivered or picked up.” Another way to gauge the success of Jackson’s volunteer culture is to look at the amount of work nonprofits undertake to recruit people. Nonprofits that spend more time recruiting volunteers will naturally have less to devote to projects and offering services. But overall it appears that Jackson’s nonprofits have an easy time finding people. Hayashida said working at the li-

brary isn’t a “hard sell,” and Cooley said many of her volunteers serve as advocates for the food rescue. She thinks that when friends recruit each other to volunteer it creates more buy-in because the new folks have a connection to the nonprofit’s culture. Ferguson said she does a lot of outreach to find volunteers for Habitat, but she attributed some of that to seasonality. Because of skiing and the cold weather, she said, Habitat has more trouble finding volunteers in the winter. But she also said the nonprofit’s unique role of providing houses to needy families brings out many people who want to help their friends. For those who want to volunteer but aren’t sure where to start, the Community Foundation has started a new program to connect people with nonprofits. Read more about Volunteer JH on page 2. There are lots of reasons people volunteer, many of them intangible, like fostering a sense of community or feeling as though they are doing their part. But all of the hours put into Old Bill’s, the library and other organizations in town have measurable benefits. According to its first “impact report,” Hole Food Rescue saved 500,000 pounds of food from 2013 to 2016, while the library’s 2017 annual report stated that residents received $4.47 in services for every tax dollar spent by the county on the library. In addition to services, volunteer hours can also be appraised using the independent sector valuation. In 2016 the Community Foundation calcu-

Old Bill’s Fun Run for Charities is a unique fundraising and volunteer event, at least according to Kirsten Gronbjerg, who studies such things as the professor of nonprofit management in the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The community event mirrors the March of Dimes model, launched in the ’40s and ’50s to collect smaller donations from a larger pool of donors. Old Bill’s is similar, with 1 in 3 households participating. Over half of the gifts made in 2016 were $250 or less. That year the event raked in $12.15 million. “It helps create a sense of common understanding of what the community is about and what its priorities are,” Gronbjerg said. Planning for year’s fun run and Town Square booth bazaar, scheduled for Sept. 8, has already begun. On average the event takes between 300 and 375 volunteers to pull off. If you’re interested in helping out, visit CFJacksonHole.org/oldbills/volunteer. lated that it received $45,579.94 from volunteers at Old Bill’s — 1,971 hours at a valuation of $24.14 per hour. The library said in its 2017 report that its 9,475 volunteer hours resulted in $226,415 of value. And Hole Food Rescue reported it received more than $60,000 in donated time in 2016. That influx of donated time, which across 200 nonprofits in Jackson is likely well into the millions of dollars, means services are available that governments and businesses otherwise do not provide. All the tangible benefits, the hours donated, the food rescued, the free library events, add up to one big intangible effect. “It’s a defining characteristic of Jackson,” Riddell said. “Without volunteerism our community would have less gravity to newcomers. It’s part of the community that draws and keeps people here.” Contact Tom Hallberg at 732-5902 or thallberg@jhnewsandguide.com.

. s r e e t n u l o v r ou o t l! a u n o o y i t k p n e a c h x T e y r a r b i l r u o e k a You m

In 2017, library volunteers donated 9,475 hours (value = $226,415). To get involved, contact Maria: 307-733-2164 x255 mhayashida@tclib.org

tclib.org

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Seniors reap the benefits of giving back After they ‘stop working,’ many find fulfilling ways to stay active, useful. By Jennifer Dorsey Tim Griffith spent a day last month on snowshoes, tromping along the Snake River and installing sound recorders for the Teton Raptor Center’s owl-nest-monitoring project. It was volunteer work, but you could also call it a dream job for the 60-something Griffith, who earned a master’s in wildlife biology in his youth but then became a businessman, running a wildlife supply store in Indiana called Wild Birds Unlimited. The many wildlife-related volunteer efforts he’s involved with these days include coordinating bluebird nest box monitoring for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, leading bird-watching float trips on the Snake River for Nature Mapping Jackson Hole and helping Grand Teton National Park biologists monitor sage grouse leks. All yield valuable scientific data. “My education is in wildlife biology, but I never really worked in it,” Griffith said. “Now that I’m retired and living here I get this huge opportunity after 50 years to get to the point where I can actually be involved in something that’s been a passion my whole life.” Not only that, he said, “It’s important work. ... All these projects I’m involved in are leading projects in the science realm.” Griffith is one of many age-50-plus Jackson Hole residents immersing themselves in volunteer work now that they’ve wrapped up successful careers and, in many cases, launched children and grandchildren into the world. While no one is touting volunteer work as a fountain of youth, experts say that when seniors are doing good for others they are literally doing good for themselves, boosting their mental, emotional and physical health. Griffith’s activities have some of the key ingredients: social interaction, physical activity and a sense of making a contribution in a way that’s important to him. “After retirement one of the problems people have is they don’t feel useful,” said Sheila Sandubrae Davis, an advanced practice psychiatric nurse. “Many people who retire are very busy, but others feel the weight of time. This can be a real opportunity to fill their time with something that fulfills them.” Griffith’s wife, Margi, is a certified public accountant who still handles tax returns for some clients but has found several niches for volunteering. Taking on sewing projects for the Raptor Center is one example: It uses one of her talents and fills a need. She’s made covers for the intensive-care units, for example, so that if birds are upset they can be calmed down in the dark, and has also sewn dust covers for equipment and covers for tent ropes to protect birds’ feet. It’s nice, she said, to meet someone and hear, “Oh, you’re the person who makes those cool covers.” Griffith helps conduct the Christian Science Society meeting every week, she said, and, as one of the founders of the local Habitat for Humanity, she gets out to work on some of the builds when she can. Again, it’s that niche. “Sometimes I’m just a cleanup person,” she said. “I can get in there with a broom and a dustpan, and I can be helpful even though I’m not pounding a

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Tim Griffith, a volunteer for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, replaces a bluebird box on the National Elk Refuge fence bordering Highway 89. Griffith has been volunteering with the organization for about three years, a dream opportunity for a man who studied wildlife biology in college but then had a business career.

nail. That’s why I go: because they need that.” Keeping moving like that is a good thing, and that’s another benefit of volunteering as a senior, Sandubrae Davis said. “It really promotes physical activity,” she said. “Oftentimes you’re volunteering with something that takes energy.” Raymond “Whitey” White, in his 70s, and his wife, Beverly Boynton, are regulars on the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation’s fence-pulling and fencemodification projects. The work often involves knocking down wood posts, coiling long strands of barbed wire and hauling them away so that antelope, moose, elk and other wild animals can move freely over the landscape. “That’s my favorite thing because I hate fences,” White said. “They say, ‘This is mine; stay off.’ I don’t like that attitude.” He enjoys being part of an effort that requires many hands. “A lot of the crews, it’s amazing how old the average age is,” he said. “Everybody is gung ho. It is an amazing group.” Boynton, who is in her 60s, also likes the teamwork aspect of volunteering. She gets it through her work in the rehab program at the Teton Raptor Center, doing everything from preparing food for recuperating birds of prey to cleaning oxygen chambers and holding raptors while they are being treated. She was always part of a medical team during her years as a nurse, mostly in critical care. And in her spare time she was a climber, “where you were part of a two-person team and you did have to come through for each other one way or another.” When she retired it was jarring to suddenly not be part of a team, and the Raptor Center work has given that back to her. “It’s the thought that you still want to do some-

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Griffith says mental, emotional and physical health are part of the benefit when seniors volunteer. Here he gives some bluebirds who haven’t yet arrived an address — more for the Wildlife Foundation than the birds.

thing useful,” she said. “Not only that, it’s really good to be part of a team, which I really did miss from my career.” The team effort is part of “staying vital,” she said. “You have to be conscientious. You have to produce. You have to do what’s being asked of you and do it at the best level you can.” In addition to being satisfying, teamwork is probably doing good things for her brain as well. Dr. Martha Stearn, an internist who founded St. John’s Cognitive Health, said socialization is one of the ways recommended by experts to stave off dementia. “Volunteering is a form of socialization, and getting out and doing things reduces risk for dementia,” Stearn said. “It helps with mood. Depression can increase the risk of dementia.” See Seniors on 9

Volunteers are the key to literacy at TLC. We are grateful for your time and dedication.

THANK YOU!

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Garret Austen Noah Barnhart William Best Martha Best Tait Bjornsen Keelan Booth Bridget Bottomley Anna Brown Quentin Bruno Wren Buchenroth Joe Burke Joyce Butchner Nancy Carey

Lisa Carpenter Carrie Kirkpatrick Ann Carruth Andrew Carson Nancy Carson Rachel Copolla Kathy Cottam Zoe Curran Alex Dawson Gricus Mariel Delacy Megan Dufault Joannie Epstein Madison Ewing Scott Fossel

Peter French Lucia Garcia Bridget Gilmore Kevin Grange Mary Margaret Grassell Kris Gridley Paul Hansen Emma Hawks Sue Hebberger Bill Hoglund Robin Keeler Nan Kenyon Cindy Knight Mae Knowles

Jane Kusek Gina Kyle Evie Lewis Kate Lucas John Lummis Kamryn Lunde Lyla Kirkpatrick Britney Maldonado Carol Maloney James Mathieu Annie McArdle Kiva McConaughy-Munn Bella Morris Raines Nagel

Kendall Nelson Nick Olmstead Matthew Ostdiek Sandy Ostdiek Christine Palka Camilla (Milly) Peck Cindy Perry Ben Phocas Sophie Porter Antonina Profatilova Lisa Ridgeway Peter Rosenberg Lisa Ryan Leila Sandlin

Aaron Scher Debbie Schlinger Jon Scott Sarina Scott Mike Sillman Samantha Smith Blakeney Spong Amy Staehr Anne Stalker Kira Taylor Jim Thorburn Elliott Trott Patrick Trucco Jack Van Holland

For volunteer opportunities, please contact carisa@tetonliteracy.org or call 307-733-9242

Claudia VanRemoortere Carla Watsabauh Rhonda Watson Lynn Wegner Bob Wemple Dabney West Christine Wehner Kate Wienman

Mike Wierda Diane Winder Nathan Wunner Barb Zelazo Bob Zelnio

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 7

AMBER BAESLER / NEWS&GUIDE

Benjamin Weisman, 6, and Mason Perez, 7, play alongside Campbell Gervais, 13, after school last month at the Children’s Museum. Gervais is one of the youth volunteers from Journeys School, which partnered with the museum to pair students with younger kids.

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Kids learn the joys VOLUNTEER of giving their time ADVOCATE TRAINING They find value in logging volunteer hours. By Isa Jones

he volunteers at the Jackson Hole Children’s Museum who oversee the kids in the after-school program are kids themselves. Or rather, some of them are. As part of a partnership with Journeys School, three middle-school-age boys assist the adults at the Children’s Museum with the after-school program, and it’s been nothing short of a success. “We encourage them to model appropriate play and model the play rules we have,” Education Director Hatilie Anderson Lemke said. “Little kids love older kids, so it’s nice to have this model.” The three boys aren’t the only peer volunteers at the museum. Kids do internships — like a high schooler who enjoys working at the front desk — and help at various events, like the annual Touch-A-Truck event. Volunteering at the museum is just one option for kids and teens in Jackson Hole. It’s often adults leading the volunteer charge, handing out water during Old Bill’s Fun Run, leading blood drives or cooking at the Elks’ Thanksgiving dinner. But youth volunteering opportunities abound, and lending a hand from an early age can have lasting benefits for the both the kid and the community. Mark Pommer, faculty adviser of the Key Club at Jackson Hole High School, has witnessed the impact of young volunteers. Pommer also serves as the school psychologist — the two roles are more connected than one might assume. “I feel like there’s a very logical connection between the goals of a school psychologist in a high school and what activities of service can provide,” Pommer said. “I believe very, very strongly that service creates or at least facilitates the development of empathy and sympathy and perspective to see there’s a much larger world than the one immediately revolving around you,” he said. “You could immediately do something that impacts someone else’s world.” The club, which at its height saw 100 student members, pairs teenagers with volunteer opportunities that fit their skills and availability. Like the Children’s Museum, Pommer said a “big hit” is always any childcentric event. “I’ve found high schoolers really like doing things with younger kids,” he said. “It’s easier for them to be a mentor or lead games and paint faces.”

The group participates in the annual PTO pumpkin sale, the Wilson School Halloween carnival, blood drives, Old Bill’s Fun Run, Salvation Army bell ringing, food drives, coat drives and countless other service events and projects. Starting service early can lead to a lifetime of participation, Key Club Vice President Juliet Menolascino said. Once someone starts helping out, they tend to stick with it. “It’s really hard to volunteer and go, ‘I never want to do that again,’” she said. David Watson takes the family approach with his three children. The family of five volunteers regularly, seeing the time spent giving back as an opportunity to bond. The experience also lends to teaching the kids values and life lessons. “It’s a great opportunity to be involved in the community and to become more responsible,” Watson said, “and for them to become better people and more caring about the community they live in.” Both of Watson’s sons are involved in Boy Scouts, so a lot of the family’s volunteer work comes by way of the scouts. From winter bell ringing for the Salvation Army to the town’s spring trash pickup to serving dinner during the Winter Special Olympics, the list of Watson volunteer contributions is long. Volunteers of all ages are always welcome at the Animal Adoption Center, and it’s a popular choice for the younger set. “It’s really great for our cats and the communal cat room,” Volunteer Coordinator Virginia FaulknerMonks said. “[The kids] hang out with cats and socialize with the cats and brush them — it makes for an awesome living environment for the cats.” With little hands on deck on a regular basis, the cats are more friendly and adjusted to kids, which makes them better adoption candidates, Faulkner-Monks said. Young volunteer time can be limited by logistics — busy schedule, lack of a drivers’ license, limited skills — but they’re still a valuable contribution to nonprofits. Volunteers at the Adoption Center fold laundry, stuff dog toys with peanut butter (a common treat for pups) and walk the adoptable canines. “Sometimes it is hard managing kids, but at the same time we’ve been working hard on picking tasks for them that are within their capabilities,” Faulkner-Monks said. Contact Isa Jones at 732-7062, entertainment@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGscene.

Volunteers are the backbone of CSN, providing advocacy, support and a listening ear 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our advocates reflect the fabric of our community; they are men and women; they are professionals and retirees. Prior experience is not required; the only prerequisites are compassion and a desire to make a difference.

STARTING Saturday April 28th 9am - 4pm Continuing weekdays in the mornings for 6 days.

Contact Shannon at shannon@csnjh.org or 733-3711 www.csnjh.org

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8 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS

VOLUNTEERS have the community’s back

STATION 1

STATION 4

Greg Chooljian Nate Levinson Daniel Long Jason Bruni Andrew Byron Teresa deGroh Lori Ann Donellan Jim Fifles Nick Furlong Alton George Matt Goewert Caleb Hunger Carl Pelletier Brenner Perryman Nicolas Prevot Connor Quinn Jairus Robinson Leo Sanchez Kevin Spence Sam Zuckerman

Mack McFarland Phillip Lamoureux Camden Preuss Joshua Bennett Dylan Erickson Matthew Graden Andy Johnson Brian McDaniel Jon Moul Giovanni Tabacchi Clinton Vaughan James Warren Scott Williams

STATION 2 Katie Davis Conner Field Tim Harland Dean Jarvie Heath Kuszak Cody McInnes Chris Mommsen Steve Poole Cassandra Whelihan

STATION 3 Todd Fitzgerald Mike Trumbower Chris Betsinger Bernhard Sieber Chance Abel David Cernicek Randy Luskey Jeffrey Nielsen Janet Palermo Lisa Potzernitz Eric Schneider

STATION 6 Jinmo Kim Michael Kirby Remy Levy Nathan Mintz Brenda Sherwin Kelly Stirn Hunter Verde David Waldman

STATION 7 Jim Tucker Rob Dearing Clay Geittmann James Little Grant Bishop Ray Brence Logan Eyer Brad Larson Niel McCune Kevin Rauch-Lynch Matthew Somers Maggie Stewart Mike Sullivan Pete Wilson denotes new member

Personal Sacrifice for the Good of the Whole

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Phil Schoner helps Ronna Simon prepare her taxes last month at the Teton County Library. This year volunteers will help valley residents complete about 550 returns.

Tax preparers take stress out of filing Confused by your returns? An army of volunteers will give you a hand. By Kelsey Dayton It’s tax season, one of the most dreaded and stressful times of the year for many people. But a group of Jacksonites don’t hide from their taxes. They embrace the season and prepare not just their own returns but those of hundreds of people in the valley. The 30 members of the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program are expected to complete more than 550 returns this year, said Grace Robertson, site coordinator for Teton County’s program. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is a national effort. There are about 90,000 volunteers nationwide, Robertson said. In Jackson the 30 volunteers receive assistance from Teton County Library staff. They work from January to mid-April on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Jackson’s program began 14 years ago. The volunteers who prepare taxes offer a valuable service to the elderly, the disabled, low- and moderateincome earners, veterans, people for whom English is a second language and those who live in rural communities, Robertson said. Clients come from Moose, Moran, Pinedale, Afton, Alpine and Victor, Idaho. The program promises efficient and correct tax preparation for free. All of the volunteers train in person and online for a total of 80 hours a year for certification. The IRS audits the performance of the volunteer group regularly, including making — site visits. Site coordinators, like Robertson — a retired Boeing vice president and general manager who has a master’s degree in management from Stanford University — have to be experts in tax law as well as in managing volunteers and the program. Volunteers in the Teton County program give more than 15 hours a week during the 11-week tax season. The volunteers run the gamut in experience. There are retired certified public accountants and financial advisors, as well as people still working in

Lend a Hand Know your way around a W-2 and a 1099 — and have time to help out? Tax preparers who contribute to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance spend 80 hours training to join the program, then work three days a week from January to mid-April helping sort out the paperwork needed for residents’ to file their taxes. For a full job description check out TinyURL.com/tetontaxprep. Contact site coordinator Grace Robertson at gmrobertson@ bresnan.net or 733-5395 for information. the community, Robertson said. Many of the volunteers submitted notes to the News&Guide about why they chose to volunteer and what they like about it. One of Wendy Baylor’s favorite parts of the job is the reaction she gets when people learn how she volunteers in the community. “They usually start dumbstruck and proceed through disbelief to awe and wonder,” she said. “The best part is when one of them comes in and lets us prepare a return for them.” Stephanie Devins, who is retired, likes the actual work of tax preparation. She gets to interact with more of the community, and the work is intellectually stimulating. It’s a “true mental challenging understanding the U.S. federal tax requirements,” she said. Five-year tax prepper Beth Shoshana Kobrin Wilson said volVITA volunteer unteering is a way to serve her community and keep up on tax laws. “Call me crazy, but it’s interesting,” she said. Estela Torres is a bilingual tax preparer. There are many people who use the service who aren’t native English speakers, she said. “I believe it is important to communicate with a person directly in their own language,” she said. That’s especially true when it

“Helping someone through something as stressful as taxes is very real.”

See tax preparers on 9

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 9

Seniors Continued from 6

There is also value, Sandubrae Davis said, in mingling with people who are younger and from different walks of life. “It helps to bridge the generation gap,” she said. Volunteer work often brings older people into contact with younger generations, “and that keeps you more involved in the culture.” Griffith said his efforts on behalf of wildlife keep him involved “with some of the most leading-edge research in the country, and that’s mentally stimulating. “When you’re working with these young people, their passion is so great it keeps your passion up, too,” he said. “It really keeps you engaged in the community and in life in general.” Boynton said it’s “stimulating” to immerse yourself in a volunteer environment that’s different from your work experience. “It gets you meeting new people that you might not see at your workplace, or you might be retired,” she said. “It gets you meeting different people who might have totally different careers and focus.” Then there’s the happiness factor for seniors who volunteer. “Volunteering always helps you be more grateful,” Margi Griffith said. “Gratitude is something that makes us happier and healthier and have more joy.” And that seems to be good for the brain. Stearn said exercise, stress reduction, good sleep and a healthy diet are other things that reduce the risk of dementia. “People who are happier — and there’s evidence that people who volunteer are happier and more satisfied with their lives — are more likely to exercise and take care of themselves,” she said. Contact Jennifer Dorsey at jennifer@ jhnewsandguide.com or 732-5908.

tax preparers Continued from 8

comes to something as complicated as tax returns. Shoshana Kobrin has worked as an interpreter for the program for three years. She volunteered because she wanted to be more active in the Spanish-speaking community in Jackson. “Helping someone through something as stressful as taxes is very real,” she said. “To help alleviate that in a way feels good, authentic and useful.” The program is made possible by the collaboration between the library, the Teton County Library Foundation, the IRS, the Wyoming Free Tax Service and local volunteers, Robertson said. The library provides the facilities, advertising and administrative support, and the Library Foundation provides funds for the site coordinator and food for the volunteers. The IRS provides training materials and tax software, while the Wyoming Free Tax Service manages IRS grants — $50,000 a year statewide for equipment like laptops — and helps the IRS interact with the more than eight volunteer sites in the state, Robertson said. Robertson said efforts are being made to improve the process and the quality of the experience for those who use the service. Volunteers continue to learn and talk about weekly lessons. They monitor the quality of the tax returns they do and customer satisfaction. Next year, with new tax laws in affect, Robertson expects the volunteers will be especially busy and the service they offer even more valuable. “We will be trained and ready,” she said in an email. “Our volunteers will be receiving ‘hot off the press’ IRS training in those new tax laws in January.” Contact Kelsey Dayton via valley@jhnewsandguide.com.

take home the

magical moments

Join Jackson’s #1 Women’s Service Organization

captured by our award winning photography team.

Soroptimist International

“Best for Women” Would like to thank all of our members, past and present,

for 50 years of serving the Jackson Hole Community! SAVE THE DATE Bras For A Cause, Saturday May 12th Million Dollar Cowboy Bar Call Karen Brennan for more information 307-413-6772

ORDER PHOTO REPRINTS AT

jhnewsandguide.com/reprints

341991

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

Thank you to almost 500 Nature Mapping Jackson Hole Citizen Scientists and Volunteer Project Leaders. Thank you to 312 volunteers who contributed more than 1,300 hours in the field for our Wildlife Friendlier Fence Program! THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER! LEARN MORE AT WWW.JHWILDLIFE.ORG.

www.jhwildlife.org • 307.739.0968 jacksonholewildlife

jhwildlife

jhwildlifefoundation 344309

TETON COUNTY Access to Justice Center LIBRARY HOURS Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

CENTER HOURS Monday – Thursday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm or by appointment

FREE COURT FORMS ASSISTANCE TETON COUNTY OFFICE Wednesdays 4:00 - 5:00 pm

THANK YOU

VOLUNTEERS!

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD Lauren Browne | Audrey Cohen Davis | Steve Dwyer | Gail Mayland

PINEDALE COURT HOUSE First Monday of every month 4:00 - 6:00 pm

SE HABLA ESPAÑOL

185 S. WILLOW, LOWER LEVEL www.tetonjustice.org 307.734.9023 www.facebook.com/tcatj

LAW LIBRARY Open to the entire community

OUTREACH & EDUCATION

LEGAL SERVICES

Free legal seminars and clinics

CENTER AND LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE

Free or reduced fee services

Tuesday, April 17th 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm 344360

10 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Horse therapists have a lot to teach The program is more than a ‘pony ride’ for over 200 riders each year. By Kylie Mohr

he bond between a horse and rider is unparalleled. “Horses are very nonjudgmental creatures,” said Tori Fancher, executive director of the Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association. “They mirror our emotions, our feelings, whatever it is we’re going through. Oftentimes what we can’t see in ourselves we can see reflected in the horse.” Animals, inherently, have a lot to give. Whether it be therapy dogs that visit hospital patients or birds that cheer up the residents of the St. John’s Living Center, the power of animals is undeniable. Research has shown that regular interactions with animals can have immediate and long-lasting benefits for emotional well-being, according to a 2015 University of California-Los Angeles health journal article. “I don’t know that there’s words to describe the feeling, other than I think everybody in their life has experienced it, whether it be with a horse or a dog or a cat — or whatever animal,” Fancher said. “I think they definitely put you at ease, and I think that’s the power behind this.” It all comes down to the bond between animal and human, she said. “Animals just have that unique ability to calm you down and allow you to reflect in a very different way than, let’s say, going and sitting in a therapist’s office,” Fancher said. In the Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association arenas, a dozen equine volunteers — Beau, Dobe, Josh, Dakota, Henry, Drey, Captain, Rosco, Taco, Little Man, Charlie Brown and Buck-

JHTRA / COURTESY PHOTO

Peaks, a therapy horse at Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association, quietly walks a rider around the arena as he performs an airplane twist.

wheat — offer gentle nuzzles and soft rides to over 200 clients annually. The association promotes healing through a variety of programs for those in need: therapeutic riding, hippotherapy and equine-facilitated learning. “We work with a lot of individuals who may be in a wheelchair or may have certain limitations in their everyday life,” Fancher said. “Getting up on top of this powerful creature and being in control of something much larger

than themselves is just a sense of accomplishment and pride. “This is not a pony ride,” Fancher said. “The riders that come out are receiving life-enhancing services. ... There are very structured goals and a process to get our riders to a level where they want to be.”

Horses are trained to help There is a minimum 30-day trial period before a horse is accepted into the

program, and once accepted, horses go through rigorous and continual training to acclimate them to scenarios they might face on a daily basis. One is the automatic lift, a ramp for people who need help into the saddle. Hydraulics raise harnessed riders from the ground and lower them onto the horse. Fancher says a “quiet mind” is essential for good therapeutic horses. Horses must also fight their impulse to spook when they have “pressure” from more than just a rider. In some scenarios there is a volunteer leading the horse, two others walking alongside the horse’s belly and a rider on its back. “Our horses are very unique,” Fancher said. “They’ll be standing there — completely still — while a bouncy ball is being thrown for a rider to catch. And then they’ll sit there while clothespins are being put in their manes or bubbles are being blown while the rider is on their backs — all these things that a typical horse would never be exposed to.” The horses come from various places. Some were part of dude strings, some were rodeo animals, others were privately owned recreational mounts. “All of our horses come from very different backgrounds, just like all of our staff,” Fancher said. “It’s a very powerful team. Like with any program, if you have everyone who has the exact same qualifications, you’re not going to have the ability to reach a diverse audience.” The horses’ ages range, but Fancher deemed the ideal at between 12 and 18 years old. The program used to seek older horses, but that meant the animal put in a lot of training for only a few years of work before retirement. Like humans, every horse has a unique personality. Some are quiet and See horses on 11

THANK YOU TETON RAPTOR CENTER

AMBASSADORS!

• In 2017, our ambassadors donated 8,000 hours of time and service to support raptor conservation.

u o Y k n a Th K JAC

• Ambassadors assist with caring for injured, ill, or orphaned raptors, helping with community events and programming, and supporting ongoing field research studies.

S LODGE 1713 ON ELK

s r e e t n u l o V FUL YEAR s

e elk th f o l l to a

• Would you like to participate in keeping wild birds wild? Our next Volunteer Orientation Training is on May 15, 2018 from 5:30 - 7pm at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson. Contact us to register: jessie@tetonraptorcenter.org or 307.203.2551.

tetonraptorcenter.org

E H T O R AN

S S E C SUC TING OUR R

PPO OF SU

TY I N U MM

Where conservation takes flight! 344174

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 11

JHTRA / COURTESY PHOTO

Dobe, 18, has been with Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association for four years. He’s a Jackson native who had a career as a pole bending and barrel racing horse, making him extremely athletic and a great teacher for independent riders.

Drey, 29, worked with Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association on and off for 20 years and retired at the end of the 2017 season. Drey, a gentle giant, was a favorite in classes. She served some of the organization’s smallest riders.

horses

Continued from 10

mellow; others are capable of taking riders to the competition level of riding. A variety of horses can suit a variety of needs. “It’s good because we know this horse, Dakota, who is an older horse with a very quiet mind, can go through our automatic lift without being fazed by it,” Fancher said. “Whereas one of our newer ponies might need to be in a hippotherapy class, where it’s a much calmer environment with less things to trigger that fight-or-flight response.” These distinctions serve the program well, Fancher said. “We meet their individualized needs, just how we meet the individualized needs of our riders,” she said. “We enjoy the fact that we have a variety of different skill sets within our herd.” The organization takes pride in caring for its equine counterparts, most of which winter in Pavillion, where conditions aren’t as harsh. A few are kept at Crane Creek in Jackson if they need to be watched more closely. “I think it’s important for people to recognize that our horses are essentially our bloodline,” Fancher

said. “Without them we do not have a program. We need healthy, happy horses, and we take very great pride in the way that we care for these animals. They are not just tools for us; they are a part of our Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding family, as cheesy as that sounds.”

The horse-human bond is vital Riders range in age from 2 to 88. Some have been with the program since it began in 1993. DeDe McDonald, Elaine Infanger and Robin Lightner started with only a few horses and a handful of volunteers, eventually conducting a major campaign in 1997 to raise money to build their own facility. From there the programs were built. All of the nonprofit’s programs encourage the natural relationship between horse and rider to improve the rider’s physical and emotional well-being. Therapeutic riding is billed as an “equine-assisted activity” that contributes to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social development of people with disabilities; additional benefits include improved balance, muscle strength, flexibility, social and communication skills and the ability to work with a team. Hippotherapy is defined as physical, occupational or speech-language treatment that uses

Lend a Hand The Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association is kicking off its 2018 season, which runs from April to October and serves over 200 clients annually. Lesson volunteers help out directly with clients and horses, but office and administrative opportunities are also available. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Robyn Zimmerman at jhtra.volunteer@gmail.com or 733-1374 to get signed up. equine movement. “The main difference between therapeutic riding and hippotherapy is that there’s always a riding skill involved with therapeutic riding and that’s the intent of the lesson,” Fancher said. “They’re still working on finding gross motor skills, social skills, different elements that will help them in their everyday life, but they’re learning to be riders.” See horses on 19

THANK YOU

to 300+ community members that have volunteered over the last 5 years.

We love you all!

Hole Food Rescue’s

HOLE FOOD RESCUE

85 volunteers prevent 20,000 pounds of food from entering the landfill each month. Our volunteers then sort through and organize this rescued food and deliver food boxes to non-profit organizations, helping provide food assistance to around 1,000 food insecure community members in Jackson. They make our mission of reducing food waste and food insecurity possible.

We are in need of

VOLUNTEERS MONDAY- SUNDAY!

SPRING 2018 VOLU

Kandi Ames Brianna Aschliman Lily Bartlett Michelle Basye Chris Bates Molly Belk Edie Bennett Molly Brown Amira Burns Beth Burrough Justin Carr Rani Carr Abby Clark Pat Collins Joanna Cooke Katey Crystal Anna Davis Andree Dean Alan Debs Yves Desgouttes Nora Dewitt-Hoeger Joe DiPrisco Stephanie Dykema Rob & Amanda Edmondson Annie Fenn Sarah Fischel Brian Flint Blaine Gallivan Kathy Garvey

NTEER TEAM

Andi Gordon Carolina Grave Jes Hagan Margaret Harris Charlie Hunt Brennan Hussey Tristan Jackson Lea Joannis Emmie Johnson Ian Johnston Pete Kendzior Dana Kerby Carrie Kruse Iris Lazzareschi Joelle Lazzareschi Lisa Lent Cleo Masia Melissa Mattson June McCollister Lisa McGee Marie McKinley Jennifer McNaughton Vickie Memmer Max Milburn Jeremy Minor Joseph Morse Hillary Munro Nate Murphy Rose Novak

Allie Philkill Carolyn Ripps Lori Roux Ali Shafranek Jason Sharkey Sharon Schendel Chloe Showell Evan Simpson Andrew Smith Chauncey Smith Terri Smith Annie Rendall Evan Talkers Nelson Tidwell Juniper Troxel Ian Tyree Sam Vallely Nancy Waldrop Andrea Weenig Andy Weenig Brandi Weesen Franny Weikert Kristy Welfl Mike Whitman Janice Wilbur Steve Wurm 342658

Thank you... St. John’s Church Volunteers For growing our community! We are inspired by your commitment to this project and willingness to make a love-spreading difference in Teton County. So, grab your shovels, your sandwiches, your checkbooks and meet us at the Grove! Together, let’s help neighbors find a place to call home. Learn more at stjohnsjackson.org

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12 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Some bosses make volunteering pay Having employees volunteer on the clock is good PR, gets workers started. By Allie Gross

olunteerism offers a clear value to the community. But it can have benefits for businesses as

well. Several businesses around town pay employees to volunteer for good causes. Teton Dermatology recently started such an program, and Lucky’s Market has had a program in place since store director Chris Martinez arrived at the grocery three years ago. “It’s a unique program that we as an employer have,” Martinez said. “It allows us to give back to the community, to get involved in the community and support our local community.” Employee volunteer programs are widely recognized as helping businesses from every angle: They have been found to improve job satisfaction among employees. They help the business develop employee skills and attract and retain staff. And giving back to the community puts the business in a good light for locally-minded consumers. At Lucky’s all team members can accrue up to 32 hours of paid volunteering time. Martinez has seen employees use the benefit to help at churches, food banks, homeless shelters and animal shelters. It helps not only the beneficiaries of the community service, but also the Lucky’s Market reputation and brand. “It helps us put our name out there and let the community know we’re out there, we’re here to support, we’re here to help,” Martinez said.

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Syndi Walker lifts up Sundance while cleaning at the Animal Adoption Center recently. Walker works at Lucky’s Market, which allows employees to accrue up to 32 hours of paid volunteer time. Lucky’s thinks the program is good for everyone involved.

Martinez says it can help people who aren’t sure how to go about volunteering get their feet wet. “What I like most about it is most people are hesitant in the beginning to go out in volunteer,” Martinez said. “We’re nudging them in the right direction to give their time.” That nudge can lead to developing a deeper, personal interest in volunteer work. Syndi Walker works in the produce section at Lucky’s. Twice a week she uses her volunteer hours to help at the Animal Adoption Center. An animal lover, Walker isn’t able to have pets at her home in Jackson. So she enjoys the opportunity to spend time helping the cats and dogs — from dog walks to grooming cats to cleaning cages.

“It’s pretty awesome, because we get to give back to the community and we get paid for it,” Walker said. She also appreciates that her employer provides the opportunity to make it easier to give back to the community. Teton Dermatology has a similar program. For several years the practice has paid employees for up to four hours of local volunteer work annually, typically around the holiday season. The first year, in 2016, co-owners Drs. Brittany and Jon Baker allowed employees to do their own thing. Some worked at the Santa workshop on Town Square, others volunteered at the Turkey Trot. “We basically said, we’ll give you four hours of paid time, and do what

inspires you,” Brittany Baker said. Contributing to the community has always been important to the Bakers, who have provided free cancer screenings a the health fair and host high school students who are interested in health care careers as summer interns. Paying employees to volunteer offered an opportunity to get the whole practice involved, they said. This past holiday season, around January, Jon Baker said the employees decided to do their volunteer work together as a group. “It was their idea,” he said. “They decided they wanted to cook a meal for the homeless shelter.” The dermatology clinic employees worked together to plan the evening at Good Samaritan Mission, divvying up the dishes: barbecue pulled pork, mac and cheese and a salad. “Making dinner for the Good Samaritan was a very heartwarming experience,” said medical assistant Lisa Baldock. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming, they made us feel right at home. Nothing brings people together like good food and good company.” The Bakers said taking care of people in a setting outside the health care field reinforces the work Teton Dermatology employees do every day, and boosts camaraderie and morale. “When you work as a team doing something unique, it helps foster teamwork in the workplace as well,” Brittany Baker said. “Some of the employees work in different realms in the office, and they don’t get to interact much here. Then they go out and cook dinner together and get to see each other in a different way.” Contact Allie Gross at 732-7063, county@jhnewsandguide.com or @JHNGcounty.

THANK YOU! Teton County Emergency Management would like to thank the volunteers of the following agencies for making Jackson Hole a more disaster-resilient community. Without your hard work and dedication we wouldn’t be able to provide the critical services the public truly needs in times of crisis.

THE AGENCIES AND WHAT THEY DO ARE:

American Red Cross of Wyoming, Jackson Team

Teton County Community Emergency Response Team

Sheltering and feeding of people in disasters, disaster mental health services, emergency preparedness training for the public, and disaster damage assessments.

Neighborhood emergency response in large disasters, public fire extinguisher training, emergency responder rehabilitation unit, and surge capacity for local emergency response agencies.

VOAD BOARD MEMBERS: American Red Cross of Wyoming-Jackson Hole Team | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Jackson Cupboard PAWS of Jackson Hole | Redeemer Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole | One22

PAWS of JH Disaster Animal Response Team

Teton County Emergency Operations Center Support Staff

Sheltering, feeding and care of animals during disasters.

Volunteer staffing of Teton County’s EOC during emergencies.

Teton County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Collaborative group of critical voluntary agencies that have agreed to assist the Jackson Hole community with unmet needs such as food, clothing, emergency funds, volunteers, crisis counseling, and other services during disasters.

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 13

Snow King ‘vollies’ patrol for 79 years Nearly half of the King’s patrollers do it for free — but you wouldn’t know it by the training, dedication. By John Spina You wouldn’t know the Snow King ski patroller helping you was a volunteer unless you asked. Though unpaid, the volunteers are trained no differently than their professional counterparts. Their responsibilities are the same. And volunteers make up roughly half of the entire patrol at Snow King. As one of the first ski patrols in the country, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only is it a chance to hone their technical skills, but serving on the ski patrol is also a chance to give back to the community. And it’s a favorite pastime. “Our patrollers here have really good skills,” Volunteer Ski Patrol Director Mitch Dann said. Dann joined in 2010 and splits his time as a ski patroller, sometimes as a professional, sometimes a volunteer. “I’m really proud of the folks here and how hard they work in training and how serious they take their work,” he said. “We tell everyone the minute you put on a vest with a cross there is no differentiation between a pro and volunteer. We expect the same level of capability and service from everyone.” To be considered for a volunteer position, prospects must be certified by the National Ski Patrol after passing an intensive 100-hour Outdoor Emergency Care course, a CPR class and an Avalanche 1 class. “Wilderness medicine has always attracted me, but the outdoor emergency care course is pretty rigorous,” said JP Carey, who was a rookie on the volunteer patrol last year. “I thought it was going to be pretty similar to a Wilderness First Responder class but it was so much more intensive. You get a lot of hands-on experience with patient assessment, which was really cool.” After completing the necessary certifications, prospects must shadow a veteran patroller for 10 days to show proficiency at about 100 tasks. That includes chairlift evacuations, running toboggans down steep terrain and, of course, avalanche rescues. The final rookie exam is to sidestep up to tower nine of the Summit lift, roughly 1,000 vertical feet up Exhibition on the face of Snow King. “It doesn’t really matter if you have two skiers here or 200, we need to

Lend a hand on skis Snow King Ski Patrol It’s a long road to becoming a vollie at Snow King. Prospects must become certified by the National Ski Patrol by passing a 100-hour Outdoor Emergency Care course, CPR class and Avalanche 1 class. Trainees also spend upward of 10 days with a patrollers, demonstrating proficiency in about 100 tasks, culminating in a final test: sidestepping up to tower nine of the Summit lift, roughly 1,000 vertical feet. Think you have what it takes? The patrol holds a general orientation for interested patrollers in the fall.

PEARL STREET

Doggy Sleepover?

Help us save more lives at the Animal Adoption Center by inviting a dog into your home for the night! We will provide everything needed for a furry and warm evening!

FOSTER A DOG parTicipaTing

prEsEnTs

agEnciEs:

Summertime Pet Adoption Series THE

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Snow King Volunteer Ski Patrol Director Mitch Dann, left, talks withJoin Ski Patrol Director all our local pet adoption agencies to help Jack McConnell last winter following a skierﬁndMountain. homes for our local homeless pets! triggered avalanche on Snow King “We tell everyone the minute you put on a vest with a cross there is no differentiation 342516 DaTE: between a pro and volunteer,” Dann said.

270 E. Broadway | Jackson, WY 83001 307.739.1881 adopt@animaladoptioncenter.org for latest news, events and available adoptions

Saturday, May 31st

TimE: have the expected risk mitigation,” d cat purrsers n a s e s is Dann said. “That first year is ink Dog volunte nimal loving tense. The first time you are placE: called to ve to ALL our a and loHOLE a wreck it’s different. You’ve got to be mOFeJACKSON ti r u o y g n ri ready and the days can be really long, for sha e Shelter! th t a ls a particularly if we have race starts or im meless an an event.” to with the ho From LEFT Along with responding to emergennelle There of pets waiting for homes in our cies, each day the ski patrolare hashundreds a long RIGHT: Ja ff) with list of chores to maintain the mounlocal shelters. Even if you can’t Holden (sta tain and protect skier safety. ), Earl adopt - come on by to visit Willow (dog Having an opportunity to learn with the pets and support our lexa necessary skills and practice them in Deshner, A real-world situations is a big part of shelters and adoption agencies! ie Blank, Bonn the reason people join the volunteer abel patrol. Often referred to as “the farm Schwartz, Is team,” some volunteer ski patrollers For morE inFormaTion: Seifer, Adkins, Ben use their experience at Snow King n, as a steppingstone to become profesKaela Mitte sional ski patrollers at other resorts, dima Adam Gala including Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort. OthJoin Us! (staff) with ers have been inspired to pursue a caog) Call 733-2139 Domino (d reer in medicine after their time with 342236 the “vollies” (short for volunteers). For some of the older vollies, the chance to serve their community while on skis is also a key motivator. “Mitch and I are both involved in a number of other nonprofits, but this is different,” said Bob Kopp, who joined in 2013. “It just feels good. Anytime you help somebody and get them off the mountain when they’re having trouble getting down or they’re injured there’s satisfaction in that. Then, after you become part of the mountain, it really becomes an attachment, and there is an affection for the place that really grows on you.” Grab life by the reins and join the JHTRA family today. While many of the volunteers We are looking for lesson volunteers to help with come for the skills and the opportuour upcoming season April-October. nity to contribute to the community, they stay for each other — someNo horse experience needed. Training is provided. times for as long as 30 years. “It’s a family, a band of brothers If interested please contact Robyn at and sisters,” said Mitch “Wheels” Wheeler, who joined in 2002. 307-733-1374 or jhtra.volunteer@gmail.com Even after Wheels broke his back 343881 in a 2012 paragliding accident, he continued to help on base patrol for CURRAN SEELEY WOULD LIKE TO events while he recovered. Watching his recovery, Kopp said, was an inspiration to everybody on the ski patrol. Wheels said the support was key to getting him back on skis. “It’s just really great to be back with my brothers and sisters,” he said. The Snow King vollies are one of the oldest patrols in the country, becoming home to the first Nationwww.curranseeley.com al Ski Patrol operation west of the Mississippi in 1939. “We often get caught up with the issues of the day,” Dann said, “but it’s important to remember that history and to remember why we’re here. We’re here for the communiYou have made a ty and we have a responsibility to difference in the lives maintain that continuity.”

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

PAWS

Pearl Street Bagels on Pearl StreetAin Jackson YOU NK

(307) 739-1881 or (307) 734-2441

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Love

Horses?

Love

helping others?

thank super volunteer

Sophie Craighead

Contact John Spina at 732-5911, town@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGtown.

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of so many and for that we are grateful.

HEALTHY COMMUNITY

HEALTHY HABITS

14 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Providing the backbone of Fire/EMS Despite need it’s becoming harder to recruit and retain volunteers.

Lend a hand Every fall Jackson Hole Fire/EMS welcomes a new crop of volunteer recruits. Volunteers must live in Teton county, and pass a background check, physical and work capacity tests. Interested in learning more? Call 733-4732. To fill out an application go to TetonWyo.org/149/jackson-holefireems-department and click on “Volunteer” on the left rail.

By Emily Mieure

mergency responders with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS cover more than 4,000 miles on a daily basis. It’s why fire stations are scattered all around the county. It’s also why some of the stations are staffed not only with career firefighters but also with volunteers. “Fire calls would not work without volunteers,” said Remy Levy, an engineer and EMT at Fire Station 6. As an all-hazards department, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is responsible for fire and medical calls for the town of Jackson and Teton County. “It could be high-voltage lines to infectious disease to hazardous materials to a car in the river to a structure fire,” Battalion Chief Matt Redwine said. “But when you call us to your scene you will have a hard time telling who’s a chief, who’s paid and who’s a volunteer.” “Volunteer” has several meanings in fire service. And it might mean something different in every city in the country. But in Jackson Hole volunteers make up most of the department. “The demands of a volunteer are pretty darn extraordinary,” Levy said. “But it’s one of the most beautiful families I’ve ever been a part of.” Levy wanted to work strictly as an EMT when he first joined in 2011. But that’s no longer an option. Volunteers must be trained to respond to medical and fire calls. “When fire calls come through it is completely dependent on volunteers showing up,” Levy said. It’s been a challenge in recent years. Ever since fire merged with medical almost 15 years ago, volunteer numbers

AMBER BAESLER / NEWS&GUIDE

Volunteer firefighters Andy Zimmerman, Andrew Byron and Leo Sanchez practice CPR.

have been declining. “Twelve years ago we had almost double the volunteers, but we’re leaner and meaner now,” Redwine said. “We ask a lot more of today’s volunteer than yesteryear’s volunteer.” The department must work on retention and recruitment simultaneously. Volunteer firefighters are required to live in Teton County, which is one of the main issues. It’s why the department has had to focus on quality over quantity. “We’ve seen a decline in volunteers, but we’ve also seen a higher level of discipline training,” Redwine said. “There are less of us, but we are engaged at a super-high level.” Fire/EMS added 17 recruits recently, which beefed up its manpower significantly. “Last year we took a year off on recruitment because we wanted to focus on retention,” Redwine said. “The

point of taking a year off was to work on higher-level certifications like ropes and rigging and ladder training.” The department has a new recruit class every fall. “It was an anomaly last year that we didn’t,” Redwine said. The new volunteers will begin responding right away with the guidance of a mentor, usually a captain in the station they’ve been assigned. “It takes 18 months to give them the gamut of tools to face all the call types we get,” Redwine said. Volunteers aren’t paid until they’re fully certified, and payment varies depending on roles. They get anywhere from $15 to $19 per call. “It’s not a very big stipend, but it helps pay for something,” Redwine said. The department receives about 1,600 calls a year, and 80 percent of them are medical-related, said Captain Scott Courser.

People say, “Wow, there’s a lot you have to know,” Courser said. “But we’ve gotten to that place we’ve wanted to be for the last 14 years.” With Chief Brady Hansen having started in September 2017, volunteers and career firefighters are optimistic about the future of the department. “He’s very in favor of getting the volunteer numbers back up,” Courser said. “We’ve got that great volunteer spirit.” Chief Hansen said retention, especially in a transient town like Jackson, is just as important as recruitment. “The community expects us to always be ready,” Hansen previously told the Jackson Hole News&Guide. “We could not do that without a combination of career people and volunteers.” Service motivates the volunteers. “It’s incredibly powerful to be able to help somebody on what is most likely the worst day of their life,” Levy said. “It’s an honor to be invited into their homes to help them.” Contact Emily Mieure at 732-7066, courts@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGcourts.

THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS

WE ARE HELPING TO END HUNGER IN TETON COUNTY! THE BOARD OF THE JACKSON CUPBOARD WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING VOLUNTEERS: Aaron Feuerstein Al Zuckerman Ali Dunford Andrea Evans Ann Carruth Ann Mattson Barbara McPeak Ben Read Beth Whitworth Bert Polkinghorne Bonnie Pockat Boy Scouts of America Jackson District Bridger Teton National Forest Cathy French Cathy Teig Cliff Kirkpatrick Craig Kirkpatrick Dan Thomasma David Carpenter Dawn Webster Denise Tsuruda-Dobell

Dick Greig Gaby Gutierrez Gemma Ford Georgie Still Herb Brooks Jane Sullivan Jackson Hole Community School Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance JP Schubert Judy Greig Julie McLaurin Karen Smith Kim Neeb Les Jones Leslye Hardie Lisa Carpenter Liz Lockhart Louie Armstrong Loretta Kirkpatrick Mark Kelleher Martha Gilmore Matt Hall Meg Daly

Meridith Medlock Mindy Kim-Miller Mike Cloherty Mike Conlin Mike Keegan Nancy Dunlap Nancy Riddle Neil Ford Patty Staley Richard Rice Sandy Strout Sarah French Sarah Neeb St. John’s Episcopal Church Employees Susan DeMuro Susan Hall Tracy Nelson Trissta Lyman Valerie Goettler Willi Brooks Albertsons Jackson Whole Grocer Hole Food Rescue Lucky’s Market Smith’s Food & Drug

We would also like to thank St. John’s Episcopal Church for housing the Jackson Cupboard, the various businesses, churches, clubs, schools, & individuals who conducted food drives on our behalf, too many to mention but know that your help is greatly appreciated! Volunteer Board Members: Amy Brooks, Shirley Craighead, Leslye Hardie, Therese Metherell, Evan Molyneaux, Cathy Poindexter, Mike Randall, Jim Ryan, Paul Vogelheim, Amy Wierda Operations Director, Rachel Daluge Please forgive us if your name was mistakenly omitted but know that your help is also greatly appreciated!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

CALL OR TEXT US AT (307) 699-2163 OR EMAIL US AT JACKSONCUPBOARD.ORG

Located in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church 170 N. Glenwood St. | jacksoncupboard@gmail.org

FIND US ON

AND

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 15

HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS? SOLVE THE SCRAMBLE TO FIND OUT!

Use the letters to spell the words HINT - one letter will be left out ANSWER BELOW

Tyler Babcock Eve Barnett Reid Bauer Susie Blasko Pam Bode Emily Boespflug Jeannine Brown Jill Callaway Jessica Chambers Jane Chapman Robin Christensen Dennis Conley Leslie Cook Julie Corotis Laura W. Davenport Chris Dickey Lauren Dickey Ellae Elinwood Cathie Evans Dick Ferguson Lucretia Finlay Caryn Flanagan Katy Fox Forest Fransen Laurie Fukawa Gwenn Gilday David Gomez Margi Griffith Sharon Gunberg

Jackie Hart Keely Herron MaryLou Klene Patty Krause Marlene Lang Robyn Lunsford Judith Lyons Liz Machalek Kathleen Mague Lara Mann Karen Marinaro Georgia Mayer Michelle McCormick Patty McDonald Vickie Memmer Therese Metherell Sue Morgan Annie Mostkoff Dorothy Neckels Galen Parke Michele Pickerill Patricia Poletti Jared Power Karen Priebe Thelma Quasdorf Frederick Reimers Rebecca Reimers Cynthia Riedel Maegie Rooney

Amy Russian Skye Schell Jill Schmidt Sharon Schmidt Michael & Claudia Schrotz Craig and Carol Schwender Ronna Simon Dana Smith Megan Smith Lisa Sprague Robin Steinmann Laurie Thal Beth Thebaud Shirley & Dan Thomas Dan Thomasma Juniper Troxel Linore Wallace Jim Walter Ashley Watson Rob Weed Nancy Wilbrecht Jeff Wilcox Lesley Williams John Wilson Katie Wilson Jeannie Yurgalewicz Zach Zimmerman

307.734.8956 | JHCENTERFORTHEARTS.ORG

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ANSWER: TRUE LOVE

16 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Meals to go keep seniors independent Dedicated volunteers deliver between 30 and 40 a day. By Isa Jones

n the early 1990s Jane Day brought along her young daughter when she delivered Meals on Wheels. She said her child liked to visit with the clients, typically seniors, and help set out their food. “She loved delivering meals with me. For her it was like playing a waitress in a restaurant,” Day said. That was years ago, but Day’s enthusiasm for the program hasn’t faltered. She’s volunteered since she moved to the valley in the mid-’80s and still delivers at least once a month. “You really see how some of our seniors live,” Day said. “A fair number live on the edge of economic feasibility. ... You see the seniors who really need the care the most.” Teton County’s Meals on Wheels program started in 1979. Since its inception it’s been coordinated out of the Senior Center of Jackson Hole, which at the time was just a log cabin in East Jackson. It’s been going strong ever since and now serves Jackson proper, Pioneer Homestead, Rafter J and Wilson, providing 30 to 40 meals a day. The program, as the name suggests, revolves around delivering food to homebound residents. Most of the clients are seniors, but there are also people with disabilities or injuries. The meals are delivered every weekday, and clients can request frozen meals or extra meals for dinners and weekends. “It helps people remain independent in their homes,” said Hannah Sell, activities and volunteer coordinator for the Senior Center. “If people can stay in their homes a little bit lon-

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Jill Aanonsen loads hot meals into her car at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole before embarking on her Meals on Wheels route.

ger because of Meals on Wheels, then we’re doing our job.” The Teton County program is funded through the state, Sell said. According to Meals on Wheels America, about 13,000 seniors struggle with hunger, 29,000 live isolated or alone, and another 29,000 are living near the poverty line. The Jackson program serves 20 to 30 people a day and has a volunteer

list of about 40 to 50 people. Each volunteer is responsible for about 10 meals, and the route takes an hour to an hour and a half. “That includes people who do it on a weekly basis, people who just sign up when they can do it. Then there’s people who substitute,” Sell said. “I send out a last-minute text, ‘Can anyone do it today?’ and people pick up those shifts when they can.”

While many of the volunteers in Jackson are retired or just have a lot of free time, others use their lunch break to deliver meals. Sell said a main component of the program is providing not just nutrition but also interaction and socialization for clients. “I think both the clients and volunteers really benefit from the See meals to go on 17

THANK YOU to all the volunteers for cooking with Meals With A Mission

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 17

Are you strong, determined, and confident? Not afraid to dig in, get dirty and lift others up? BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Anne Schuler carries hot meals to her car to start her Meals on Wheels.

meals to go Continued from 16

socialization,” she said. “They get to visit with people who have been in Jackson for years and years and years.” “I absolutely love when I get to go out and deliver. I get to chat with everyone and hear these great stories.” The national program states that, “at the core of Meals on Wheels service is a nutritious meal, companion-

GET INVOLVED! email: volunteer@tetonhabitat.org

ship and a watchful eye on the health and safety of our seniors.” For Daly the chance to visit makes the drives and hours worth it. “People qualify when they really can’t get out to socialize which is so important, especially as people age,” she said.

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THE JACKSON HOLE CHORALE, your community choir, honors their Volunteer Board

for sustaining our growth!

Contact Isa Jones at 732-7062, entertainment@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGscene.

Lend a Hand Meals on Wheels Volunteers deliver meals to homebound seniors starting at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Deliveries take between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the route. Volunteers may sign up for regular shifts or fill in as available. Contact Hannah Sell, activities and volunteer coordinator for the Senior Center of Jackson Hole, at 733-7300 or info@ jhseniorcenter.org. Learn more at SeniorCenterJH.org/meals-on-wheels.

L to R: Jesse O’Connor, Lisa Hoyt, Nancy Bohne, Rhea Lewis, Annette Osnos, Ron Fabry - Director, Juline Christofferson - Board President; Not pictured: Karen O’Connor

Join us for our next concert

Schubert Fest, May 20th @ 4pm Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church 344038

Thank You 2017-18 Volunteers! Thank you to everyone who has volunteered at the Museum in the past year. You are the heart of our Museum community, and continue to inspire us with your generosity and talent. We couldn’t do it without you. Cathy Adkins Don Alsted - W Vickie Atwater Ann Marie Babb Joan Baldwin - W Laurie Bay - D Lucy Bayles Jan Benz - W Sally Berman - D, W Heather Black - D Eileen Blackwell Ed Brenegar Greg Brondos - W Susan Brooks - D, W Jim Byrne - D, W Sally Byrne - D, W Lisa Carlin - W Susan Chambers - W Patricia Dempsey William Dennis Susan Erickson - D Bill Finerty Lisa Fleischman - D Juanita Flores Pamela Flores

Joyce Frye Natalie Goss - W Marilyn Gschwind - W Gigi Halloran - D, W 2017 Volunteer of the Year Diane Hanson - W Jan Herbst - W Barb Huhn - W Alison Jones - D, W Ann Keller Diane Key - W Charlotte Kidd Louise Koegler - W Carla Kussner Harry Lawroski - W Mary Ann Lawroski - W Anne Lippold Kip MacMillan - D Jane Malashock - D Steve Malashock Bob Martin - D, W Pat Martin - W Susan Martindale Dan Matzke Julie Matzke - D, W

Nancy McCarthy - W Kris McMillan Maggie Moore Molly Moore Erika Muschaweck - W Judy Pilgrim - W Cynthia Quast - W Karen Rockey - D Ellen Sanford - D, W Carol Schneebeck - W Regina Schultz Christy Smirl Ellen Dibble Stetson Ron Stevens Caroline Taylor - D Bobbi Thomasma - D, W Martha Van Genderen - D, W Marsha Wackerly - W Mary Waid - W Mary Willis - W Dawna Wilson John Wilson - W Elizabeth Wright

D = Docent W = Wyoming Sage Society (>500 Hours Volunteered)

307-733-5771 | Open Daily | Just 2.5 Miles from Town Square | WildlifeArt.org Sculpture: Bart Walter (United States, b. 1958), Wapiti Trail—detail, modeled 2005, cast 2007. Bronze. Lifesize. Purchased with funds generously donated by an anonymous benefactor, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Bart Walter. 343191

18 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Star Valley’s strays get Jackson’s help

ONE OF THE

GREATEST GIFTS

Nonprofits and volunteers find homes for dogs and cats at Lucky’s Place, fund spaying and neutering.

YOU CAN GIVE IS YOUR TIME.

VOLUNTEER AT THE SENIOR CENTER. The Senior Center relies on volunteers to assist with administrative and maintenance tasks, special events, Meals on Wheels delivery and other programs.

By Mike Koshmrl

Contact Hannah for more information on how you can get involved. 733-7300 or info@seniorcenterjh.org

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TETON ADAPTIVE SPORTS WOULD LIKE TO

THANK ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS who help make outdoor sports possible for people of ALL ABILITIES

Volunteers Rock! TO JOIN OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS CONTACT

christy@ tetonadaptivesports.com 343508

head heart hands health “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” -Sherry Anderson

Teton County 4-H Volunteers are inspiring the next generation! Thank you for all you do for our community!

We would like to thank our outstanding volunteer leaders: Erin Abel Chance Abel Marty Anderson Anjie Beard Kayla Bonilla Dave Brackett Diana Brown Jay Cola Budge Cola Budge Jane Budge Joey Budge Joe Burke Rani Carr

Josh Dieckmann Stacey Dieckmann Stefanie Eggett Melissa Fox Trudy Funk Rebecca Genzer Becca Griber Gwen Hansen Catherine Harward LaRee Hibbert Barb Huhn Jared Kuhns SaraLee Lanier Carlton Loewer Deb Lundy Debbie Lutz

Rebecca Mitchell Diedre Morris Shannon Owens Theresa Paradis Pam Romsa Gayle Roosevelt Nancy Seaton Travis Shanafelt Adria Stines Alyssa Watkins Amy Wilson Andrew Wilson Brandi Wilson Buskin Wilson Dana Wilson Meredith Wilson

Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact the Teton County 4-H Office at 733-3087

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The most recent overwhelming crush of cats and kittens came around BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE Christmas. Jackson Hole nonprofits, veterinarians Mary Ann Ahrens, director of the Animal Humane Association of Star and volunteers have assisted the Animal Humane Association of Star Valley by pooling Valley, remembers that the shelter their resources, moving animals to different Star Valley locals refer to as “Lucky’s locations and partnering for low-cost or free Place” topped out at about 120 res- spay and neuter clinics. cued stray felines. It was problematic, because the Thayne facility has room we think would do well in Jackson,” for only about 45 cats. Carrie Boynton, the center’s execu“The rest are in kennels in the hall, tive director, said. “Once they’re here and wherever we can set something they go into our foster program. We up,” Ahrens said. typically see them get adopted pretty Winging it to make space for a quickly.” steady stream of cats and dogs is rouThe collaboration between the two tine in Lincoln County’s first and only shelters has helped dozens of dogs open-admission animal shelter: and cats find their “forever homes” in “It’s always been like that,” Ahrens Jackson Hole, she said. said. “But it’s getting better — much In 2017 and the first few months of better — in the last six years.” 2018, for example, 92 animals shipped The help started with Jackson Hole north from Lincoln County were placed resident Sophie Craighead (see page in homes by the Animal Adoption Cen3), whose philanthropy got Lucky’s ter. The regional outreach extends in Place on its feet back in 2008. The other directions, too: 125 animals from name stems from Craighead’s rescue the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter have golden retriever, Lucky. fed into the Adoption Center. “Basically,” Ahrens said, “it’s beThe Animal Adoption Center and cause of Sophie Craighead that PAWS of Jackson Hole assist in other there’s a shelter ways, augmenthere. She was the ing the effort to main founder.” sterilize Lincoln Lincoln CounCounty’s roving ty was a decidcats and dogs. edly less hospiProviding waivtable place for ers for neuters stray animals and spays is one of before the shelter PAWS’ biggest prosprouted. grams, and Star “Before they Valley is a focal — Mary Ann Ahrens point. just shot them,” director of lucky’s place Ahrens said. “They’re pretty “Cats and dogs, much our highestthey just detarget market,” stroyed them bePAWS Executive cause they didn’t have anywhere to Director Amy Romaine said. “We did put them.” 509 spay and neuter vouchers last year Star Valley has many more stray in Star Valley.” cats and dogs than Jackson Hole, The voucher program is free for pet a problem that traces to the rural, owners and reimburses participatagriculture-dominated nature of the ing Star Valley veterinarians a set place. Dogs are given more leeway to rate for their services. The goal is for roam, and cats can be straight feral. the program to wipe itself out: The “It’s tough,” Ahrens said. “You’ve animals it sterilizes aren’t able to regot a lot of farmers and a lot of rural produce, of course, and that leads to areas where they don’t catch the cats fewer stays being admitted to Lucky’s to spay and neuter.” Place that need to be spayed and neuOvercrowding at Lucky’s Place of- tered themselves. ten results. Fortunately, Jackson’s “The program is designed to have Animal Adoption Center routinely diminishing need,” Romaine said. steps in to ease the pressure. In Jackson, she said, the spay and “We go down regularly to work neuter efforts successfully drove down with them to pick out animals that the shelter population and in turn “dramatically” reduced demand for the program. The hope is to duplicate that sucLend a Hand cess in County 12. PAWS hopes to expand its work to true feral animals — Animal Humane Association live trapping, sterilizing and releasing of Star Valley, aka Lucky’s Place cats. PAWS has also chipped in over Members of the team clean, $20,000 to shore up Lucky’s Place, supfeed, groom and walk the dogs, port that’s helped to add a roof over the among other animal-related duoutdoor dog kennel, build a play yard ties. Volunteers must be 16 years and pay for beds, bowls and treats. old or otherwise Jackson Hole helps alleviate Star accompanied by Valley’s stray pet problem in one othguardian. er way: Its residents open up their There are also pocketbooks. pet fostering op“We do get a lot of support from peoportunities. ple up in Jackson, and that’s kind of Learn more by been a lifesaver, because we get no govvisiting AHASV.org ernment help,” Ahrens said. “Donations and clicking on “About Us,” then and fundraisers is how we keep going.” “Volunteering” or “Fostering.” Email info@ahasv.org if you Contact Mike Koshmrl at 732-7067, have any questions. env@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGenviro.

“Cats and dogs, they just destroyed them because they didn’t have anywhere to put them.”

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 19

Thank You VOLUNTEERS!

JHTRA / COURTESY PHOTO

Rosco, an 19-year-old therapy horse, stands quietly in the outdoor area. Rosco was a pack horse previously and has a calm, quiet disposition.

horses

Continued from 11

Hippotherapy is different, she explained. “A licensed therapist is involved in it and actually provides the therapy session on a horse,” Fancher said. “So the horse in that element is basically the therapy tool. The horse’s movement is allowing the therapist to achieve their session goals.” Another offering is “equine-facilitated learning,” an unmounted activity that deals with thought processing and meeting challenges appropriately, as well as developing empathy and thoughtfulness for others. Riders come from Community Entry services, a local organization that provides an array of students for individuals with developmental disabilities; C-V Ranch, a residential school and treatment facility for multihandicapped and emotionally disturbed youth from

around the state; students from Teton County School District No. 1; students from Big Piney and Afton; as well as Teton County, Idaho, students and private individuals. That last group includes veterans. “It enhances their life in many ways,” Fancher said. “And if it didn’t they wouldn’t be coming back year after year.” And while the horses benefit their riders, they do the same for the people who volunteer. “Some of our volunteers come out early just to spend time grooming the horse, because that’s their happy place for the day,” Fancher said. “Maybe they’ve had a rough day or lost somebody recently, and coming out and just spending five extra minutes with the horse puts them at ease.” Contact Kylie Mohr at 732-7079, schools@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGschools.

With your investments of time and energy, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is able to stretch our membership dollars. Our community is strong because we work together.

Volunteers make vital contributions

to Special Events, Board and Committee Leadership, Visitor Services, Internships, the Howdy Pardners Ambassador Club, and more.

Would you like to get involved?

Call 307.733.3316 or email info@jacksonholechamber.com to learn how you can join the team. www.JacksonHoleChamber.com

121 121 121 volunteers volunteers volunteers

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St. John’s Medical Center thanks our dedicated volunteers! 2015 Volunteer Program

We are also grateful to all those who generously give their time by serving on the St. John’s Medical Center Board of Trustees and the St. John’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors.

140 121

volunteers

3,200 19,300 3,200 19,300 3,200 19,300 3,476 20,027 hours served patients served hours served patients served hours served

patients served

3,200 19,300

hours served patients served Marguerite ONCOLOGY Debbie Phillips WHEELIN’ AND HEALIN’ AUXILIARY Diana Joy Marlise Combe Ben Nardi Moran Patty Pappas-Staley Marge Glick LIVING CENTER DonnaHartnett Clark Hours served Ellen Rein Ben Nardi Janet Anderson & VOLUNTEENS Nancy Adams Becky Kimmel Zoe Curran Kristi Nielson Sue Perkins Patty in: Hours served in: Hours served in: Hours served in: Becky Frisbie Ellen Sanford Kristi Nielson Sandra Audyova-Keatley Kathy Kjellgren Mallory Stuart Palmer Marlise Harrower Combe Debbie Phillips Denise Joy Lynn Apel • Oncology • Spiritual Care • Oncology • Spiritual Care • Oncology • Spiritual • Front Desk • Living Center • Oncology • Curran Spiritual Care Amrita Banerjee Patty Krause MargeKusek Glick BeckyRein Schell Denise Joy Pastor Ben Pascal Care Stuart Palmer Ellen Zoe Jane Tisch Brown • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events • Front Desk • Living Center Judy Basye Michelle Kren Kelsea Love Sue Perkins Patty Hartnett Carol Schneebeck Michael• Cart Burke & Newspaper Service • Hospice • Sanford Front Desk • Living Center Pastor Ben Pascal Ellen Dave Mills • Front Desk • Living Center Mallory Harrower • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events Laurie Bay Jackie Larson Julie Jim Denise Joy Rebecca Studer Sue Perkins Becky Schell Jilly Warner Doris Bystrom • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events • Radda Pet Partners • Matzke Education & Special Events We are also grateful to all those who generously Newspaper Service • Hospice Donna Beaupré Maralyn Larson Katie Robertson Menolascino Jane Kusek Jane Jim• Radda Schneebeck Henry Williams • Cart & Carol Bette Caesar Denise Joy • Sullivan Cart & Newspaper Service Hospice ServiceJueliet Cart •& Newspaper • Hospice give their time by serving on theAnn St. John’s Jaclyn Braddy Mary Lawroski Louisa Sandvig Regan Meyring Ben Zacks Hamish Tear Katie Robertson Rebecca Studer René Woodmencey Carol Connors Elaine Laviage Medical Center Board of Trustees Lonnie Brown Jenniferand Lee the St. Ed Schmitt Sam Miller Rick Walls Jane Sullivan Louisa Sandvig Ben Zacks Elizabeth Drapela Kelsea Love John’s Hospital FoundationCarolyn Board Lewis of Directors. Doris Budge Judith Schmitt Jenny Stearns MEALS WITH Barbara Tear Zelazo Hamish Ed Schmitt Debbie Geckeler Julie Matzke Barbara Butterfield Mary Lohuis De Schoonover Izzy Trott A MISSION Rick Walls MEALS WITH Sue Hall Judith Schmitt Jueliet Menolascino AUXILIARY Sue Bybee Patti Ludwig Mary Carol Staiger Madeline Webb SPIRITUAL CARE LizMISSION Lockhhart Barbara Zelazo A Diane Hanson De Schoonover Jenny Stearns Nancy Adams BeckyMatzke Kimmel Donna Clark Julie Cathy WardStaiger Josie Welfl Deedee Breason JenLockhhart Love Liz Kimberly Hetrick Mary Carol Izzy Trott Kathy Melcer Kjellgren Sandra Audyova-Keatley Kelly Clark Linda Chuck Webber Verena Cushman DeeLove Luton SPIRITUAL CARE Jen Yvonne Henze Cathy Ward Madeline Webb Amrita Banerjee PattyNaylon Krause Rob Clark Lee OTHER SERVICES Will Davenport SuePatrini Riesch Deedee Breason Pat Pam Hill Rob Woodson Michelle Kren Judy Basye Donna Coles Joan Palmer PET PARTNERS (Joint Replacement, Amy DiSanto BeckRiesch Schell Verena Cushman Sue Earleen Horn OTHERwith SERVICES Laurie Connelly Bay JackiePonce Larson Karen Mary Lisbeth Beise & Godiva Dinner a Doc, David Dominik Carolyn Daily Christy Sing Barb Huhn PET PARTNERS (Joint Replacement, Maralyn Larson DonnaCooper Beaupré Emily Holly Richert Andrew Byron & Hoback Health Fair, Front Desk, Kristin Dyke Heather Smith Will Davenport Meggan Stordahl Marilee Jaquith Mari Auman & Ruby Dinner Newspaper with a Doc, Jaclyn Braddy Mary Ann Lawroski Marcia Craighead Susan Riesch Carolyn Daily & Music, Elisabeth Evarts Pam Upsher Swift David Dominik Joni Lisa Jennings Lisbeth Beise & Sam Godiva Health Fair, Front Desk, Mary Lohuis Doris Budge Linda Criswell Linda Rode Tessa Enright & Dexter Delivery, Administrative) Cathie Evans Meggan Stordahl Annette Eastman Polly Weaver Jackie Larson Andrew Byron & Hoback Music, Newspaper Barbara Butterfield Julie Matzke Sue Critzer Vicki Rosenberg Suzie Kirvinskee & Zeta Travis Brant Debbie Geckeler Joni Upsher Elisabeth Evarts Nancy Wilbrecht Maralyn Larson Teresa Godcheck & Penny Delivery, Administrative) Sue Delaney Bybee Lee Naylon Lisa Lisa Rullman Nina Lenz & George Devin Corey Alice Grant Polly Weaver Debbie Geckeler Chelcie Yonke Marlene Lang Emery Hemmings & Axel Delivery, Administrative) DonnaDong Clark JoanSalzmann Palmer Susan Sue Robin McGee & Roxy Jackie Crawford Inger Hanson Nancy Wilbrecht Alice Grant Robin MacLeod Rose Emily Cooper Mary Ponce Travis Brant Addie Donnan Regina Schultz Vickie Giles Karla Pendexter & Rufus Nancy Woodward Leslye Hardie HOSPICE Susan McCracken Padgett Hoke & Tucker MarciaFossel Craighead HollyWilson RichertScott Devin Holmquist Corey Petria Amy Anika Amy Rojo & Tiki/Finn Carolyn Kathy Kejellgren Chelcie Babcock Yonke Bill Hill Hawtin Mickey Mycah Miller Nina Lenz & George Linda Criswell SusanScott Riesch Laurie Friedeman Linda Jackie Crawford Pam Sather & Ozzie KeelyHisey Herron Phil Pearce John Matthew Bart Sylvia Raumaker Martha Maddoz &&Hazel Sue Critzer Linda Rode Valerie Goettler Laurie Squillaci Olga Amanda Soliday Otis VickieJohnson Giles Bill HillKerr Rosanna Mitchell HOSPICE Sarah Bette Caesar Sally Ruosch Robin McGee Lisa Delaney Vicki Rosenberg Sarah Graham Janine Teske Mills Bayless Sword&&Roxy Hoback Dedre Anika Holmquist John Hisey SierraRusser Fulton Matthew Bart Suzie Kirvinskee Steve Duerr Sean Karla Wilson Pendexter & Rufus Addie Donnan Lisa Rullman Elizabeth Hale Joni Upsher Dave Mills Ellen & Tracy Robert Larson Kass MycahSchwender Miller Jackie Bette Caesar Robin Gallivan Carol Amy Rojo & Finn Petria Fossel Sue Salzmann Connie Hansen Jean Webber Hadyn Peery Olga Johnson Sarah Kerr Maralyn Larson Sylvia Raumaker Robin Gallivan Elizabeth Gerhard Craig Schwender Pam SatherFOR & Ozzie ValerieHanson Goettler ReginaWhitesides Schultz Diane Robin Pruess WHEELIN’ HEALIN’ Jamie Dedre Mills Christie Laughery Suzie Kirvinskee Sally Ruosch Elizabeth Goodman Gerhard Christine Nikki Thompson Sarah Graham Amy Wilson Scott Amanda Soliday & Otis Stephanie Harper Nancy Wilbrecht Mike VOLUNTEENS Dave Sillman Mills Kate Lucas Jackie Larson Sean Zwerin Russer Margaret Harris Ilene Elizabeth Hetrick Hale Linda Willis Scott Bayless Sword & Hoback Dillon Smith Kimberly Mary Dylan Anderson Hadyn Peery Elizabeth Masek Maralyn Larson Denise Joy Carol Schwender Connie Hansen Laurie Winslow Squillaci Margaret Hochheiser Cindy Casey Stout Brianne Beale Jamie Pruess Trent Moore Christie Laughery Linda Judge Craig Schwender ONCOLOGY Diane Hanson Joni Upsher Kristen Irvine Janet Wood Mike Sillman George Moran Dedre Mills Kate Lucas Nikki Thompson Donna Clark Stephanie Harper Jean Webber Shay James Betty Zernik Dillon Smith Marguerite Moran Sue Morgan Elizabeth Masek Becky Frisbie Ilene Zwerin Kimberly Hetrick Nancy Wilbrecht Casey Stout Maia McCabe Patty Pappas-Staley Margaret Hochheiser Mary Willis George Moran Sue Perkins Cindy Winslow Kristen Irvine Please let us know about any errors or omissions. Shay James Janet Wood Please let us know about any errors or omissions. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 739 7541. Diana Joy Betty Zernik To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 739 7541.

625 E. Broadway, Jackson, WY 625 E. Broadway, Jackson, WY

307 739 7541 307 739 7541

tetonhospital.org/volunteers tetonhospital.org/volunteers

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20 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 11, 2018

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY RUN

U S E VO L U N T E E R J H TO F I N D A N D P O S T VO L U N T E E R O P P O RT U N I T I E S A L L Y E A R L O N G .

This summer, find ways to give your time and energy to help make Old Bill’s happen through:

VOLUNTEERJH.ORG Without the 1900 hours contributed by volunteers, Old Bill’s could not run.

THANK YOU OLD BILL’S VOLUNTEERS! Post your nonprofit’s volunteer needs and find volunteer opportunities on VolunteerJH.org. Volunteer for Old Bill’s 2017 this summer via VolunteerJH.org or by contacting Annie Riddell ariddell@cfjacksonhole.org