6 minute read
PAWsitive thoughts
on a positive note Annie’s Angels… Pets for Vets & So Much More
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By Nancy Dewar
Since 2007 Stratham-based non-profit Annie’s Angels has raised more than $3.9 million to help local families in need. Their support has been far reaching, with their mission of helping local families struggling financially through a lifethreatening disease, illness, a disability and more. The organization is unique in that in addition to its standard programs, they are nimble enough to respond to a variety of tailored individual needs and requests.
Annie’s Angels was founded in 2007 by Bill DaGiau in honor of his mother who he lost to breast cancer in 2002 and has responded to nearly 5,900 local requests to date. Bill’s journey from owning an auto repair shop in New Jersey to now is truly interesting and inspiring. Bill and his wife Diane moved to Stratham shortly after 9/11. Diane’s father had lived in New Hampshire for 35 years, and when Diane called him after this horrific event, her dad said, “Just come home.”
The DaGiau’s opened a deli in Stratham when they arrived in New Hampshire, a vast departure from automotive though Diane had extensive hotel and catering experience. Bill, an avid cyclist, got involved in numerous charity rides and began raising money for an array of worthy causes such as AIDS, Muscular Dystrophy and more. In fact, he once raised $75,000 riding his bike from Daytona to Exeter! A local philanthropic gentlemen offered him $15 per mile to do this ride. Bill laughed and said, “People like a train wreck," and he thought "I’d never do this." But he said, "I did it after 18 days of pedaling with four days off during the ride!”
The inspiration to start the non-profit was a bit woo-woo. So, without going into great detail, suffice it to say that one day a customer at the deli invited the DaGiau’s to attend a healing service at St. Theresa Church in Rye. The idea came to Bill during this service, and as they were driving home, Bill told Diane about it and said, “I’m going to do this whether you’re on board or not.” With zero experience in the non-profit world, Annie’s Angels became a reality and they’ve never looked back. In fact, Diane just came on board this year to assist with marketing, development and fundraising. Before that, Bill was a one-man-band…founder, administrator, finance guy, caseworker and janitor!
Annie’s Angels offers a variety of unique ongoing assistance programs such as “Annie’s Helping Hands” (a multidisciplinary holistic oncology program where participants of the program are eligible to receive complimentary massage, reiki and meditation therapies for up to 6 months); “The Pass Along Project” (dedicated to providing clothes to children arriving in state foster care) and “Music Therapy at the Rhythm Tree” (a group of board certified therapists who help individuals with special needs build their self-esteem through music) to name a few.
One of their pet projects that really caught my eye is “Angel’s Pets for Vets” where they work with local animal rescue shelters to assist veterans and first responders in getting a companion animal for free. “I came up with this idea after watching a TV show where a guy in Arizona was training dogs for vets,” Bill explained. “It took us a few months to develop a plan to present to our board, but we got the program up and running.” This was in January 2015. Since its inception the program has raised over $70,000 and over 450 individuals have received com-
panion animals ranging from dogs, cats and even bunnies!
Veterans go through the standard adoption process at local shelters and then contact Annie’s Angels once they have selected their pet who then makes the adoption fee payment directly to the rescue organization. These are strictly companion animals; however, if after a few months with their animal a person feels they really need a service dog, Annie’s Angels will provide the funds to train their dog for specific service needs.
Bill explained that no matter the number of items he’s juggling, cases always go to the top of the list, as they are the No. 1 priority. “I have to separate emotions from business constantly, though we’ve never said no to any person or family that meets our mission and needs our help.” Annie’s Angels is very flexible and responds to a neverending variety of requests with the ability to help in unusual circumstances. They’ve helped those in need cover heat and utility costs by paying the providers directly. One applicant missed Medicare’s open enrollment period and their ventilator was repossessed. His neighbor found him on the floor, took him to the hospital and Annie’s Angels purchased a ventilator to circumvent all the red tape so the gentleman could go home. “When you think no one is there to help, we are here,” Bill explained. “What happens if you have a very rare disease? There was a child in Exeter with Alexander disease; one of fifty in the world with this disease. Where does that family go for help? We are small, flexible and often help when no one else will.”
In addition to donations, funds are raised through a variety of annual events. Angel Pets for Vets raises funds from an annual motorcycle rally supported by local motorcycle clubs and sponsors. The Heavenly Ball, an annual event at The Ashworth in Hampton, raised over $115,000 last year. Annie’s Angels also partners with The Brook (a casino located at the former dog track in Seabrook) where The Brook donates 35% of all dollars taken in during a specified week to a selected non-profit. This year Annie’s Angel’s week is July 16th through July 22nd, so be sure to mark your calendar for some good fun for a great cause!
Probably due to the precarious times, requests for help were up 43% in 2021. “With more cases, other work gets pushed down, and our days are much longer. We are fortunate to have Diane with us full-time now to help accomplish all that needs to be done,” Bill said.
While visiting with Bill and Diane at the non-profit’s headquarters in their home in Stratham, I noticed they didn’t have a dog. “We both grew up with dogs and after losing our last dog Shelby (a chocolate lab who got eggs and toast every Sunday), we’ve yet to get another, but we do have grand dogs, Roxy and Vito, who visit,” Diane explained. As we spoke, their commitment and passion for helping others was so apparent. I think Bill summed it up best with his remark shortly before I left. “I used to think… what would I do if I had a million bucks? Pay off the house, etc. But we’ve raised over four times that amount in the past several years and have given it all away!”
To learn more about Annie’s Angels’ programs, how to donate or volunteer; please visit their website: AnniesAngels.org
