JANUARY 2015
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Pet Care for the Less Fortunate St. Francis House Pet Care Clinic
We Love Our Pets! We surveyed our Team Members to find out what their favorite pets are.
Warm Feet & Warm Hearts HeritageBank partners with DR Horton to collect socks & hats for Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency
How would you give? We asked our Norcross Team how they would donate $100,000 if given the chance
Who Keeps Albany & Dougherty County so Beautiful? Keeping Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Program
Be featured in our newsletter. Click here.
PET CARE For the Less Fortunate
SAINT FRANCIS HOUSE PET CARE CLINIC GAINESVILLE, FL
More than 62% of American households have a pet. And, most of us think of our furry companions as family members. They are our friend, protector and comforter. When we have no one else in our lives, our pets serve as a constant companion providing unconditional love regardless of our situation or worldly possessions. So, when Dr. Dale Kaplan-Stein started to notice a number of homeless individuals walking the streets accompanied by a dog, she began to wonder how that person was able to provide proper care and treatment for their pet. She and her friend, Chris Machen, decided to take action to help these people. Together with Chris, her passion for animals has propelled her to organize a program for pets of the less fortunate. In 2007, they opened St. Francis House Pet Care Clinic, a non-profit pet clinic in Gainesville, Florida. Her goal was to be able to provide for pets that weren’t being treated due to owners not being financially able to care for them. Though some may say people shouldn’t have pets if they can’t afford them, Dr. Kaplan-Stein would like to prove the opposition wrong. “A lot of these people don’t have family, so their animal is all they have. Most people don’t realize the impact an animal can have on their life,” commented Dr. Kaplan-Stein. Dr. Kaplan-Stein’s mission is to enhance pet ownership for the low income population. One of her best friends, Chris Machen, a retired neonatal nurse and wife of University of Florida President, Bernie Machen, was willing to help get Dr. Kaplan-Stein’s idea off the ground and running. The two decided they were going to produce a successful program and they were going to make it work, no matter what it took. The duo started their clinic treating one dog in the back of a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in 2007, and have since relocated to a building on 2nd Street in Gainesville. “We recently bought a lot behind our current shelter and want to build a permanent location there within the next year,” adds Dr. Kaplan-Stein.
“Anywhere you go in life, if there’s an animal there, it breaks down a barrier,” Dr. Kaplan-Stein says.
She provides knowledge of animal care and instills the concept of accountability in the owners. These ingredients have, in turn, made them become better, more responsible members of society. Her clinic is entirely need-based; she wants to dedicate her time and efforts to those that truly can’t afford to give their pets the medical care they need. “One of the first things I did was to euthanize animals that desperately needed to be put down. Their owners didn’t have the financial means to do this for them.” She strongly believes that having a pet can positively impact one’s life. “The animals have made these people better, they give love and protection.” Dr. Kaplan-Stein has changed many lives, both human and canine, for the better. “I have stopped abuse in numerous cases, but the knowledge I’ve given to people regarding pet care
is invaluable.” Most are unaware of a dog’s average life span in the care of the underprivileged – 3 years: as opposed to the average lifespan of a dog that has been given appropriate care and handling – almost 13 years. But Dr. Kaplan-Stein is working hard to change this statistic by providing knowledge to owners so they can properly treat and care for their pets. However, she and Machen can’t do it all on their own. The clinic has no paid staff; it is run entirely by volunteers. “We have about 6-8 individuals that are completely committed to the cause and have connections in town, which is important,” Machen comments. This includes experienced local veterinarians offering their services, University of Florida faculty, University of Florida vet school students completing rotations and community members interested in making a difference. Vet school students often return to the clinic as volunteers after their rotations are over. The clinic provides vaccinations, exams, consultations and treatments to the pets of more than five hundred local residents. Ask Dr. Kaplan-Stein though and she’s “Just trying to build a simple clinic that takes care of the nuts and bolts where animals can be treated and given the proper care.” And they have done just that. Her program is the only one in the country offering perpetual weekly care to pets of people that simply cannot afford to pay. As of now, the clinic is only open one day a week, Tuesday from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. In 2013, the clinic had an overwhelming amount of pets active in their program, 492 to be exact. The clinic now sees about 40-50 pets each week. They typically treat around 20-25, while another 20-25 owners come by to stock up on food and medicine for their pets. (All of the food the clinic receives is donated). “Our place is a safe place. These people come from all parts of town; we feel like we’ve built a community, not just a vet clinic. We know our clients and they’ve even gotten to know each other. Sometimes people stop by the clinic just to see who’s there.
We’ve truly made friends with these people. It’s a community kind of place,” according to Machen. Dr. Kaplan-Stein has received numerous honors including Distinguished Vet of the Year from the University of Florida in 2009, and has been featured in The Huffington Post. “I’m trying to spread this program across the country. We have to help these people, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to have a pet just like you and me.” These pets and their owners need your help. We encourage you to contribute to this deserving cause. There are several ways you can help. If you live in the Gainesville area, the clinic is always in need of volunteers. Dr. Kaplan-Stein is also excited and hopeful about their new capital campaign.
If you would like to make a financial donation, you can send a check to St. Francis House Pet Care Clinic PO Box 358462, Gainesville, FL 32635 (write “donation” on the check). The clinic relies on donations of food, medicine and other supplies for the pets. Please visit their website for more information.
We asked our team members,
What is your favorite
PET or ANIMAL? Dog .. 100 Cat .. 24 Dogs and Cats .. 13 Horse .. 3 Fish .. 5 Ferret .. 1 Rabbit .. 1 Pig .. 2 Squirrel .. 1 Chicken .. 1 Turtle .. 1 Panda bear .. 1 Bird .. 1
We asked our Norcross Team,
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“If you had $ your choice,
Gianna Giusti, Private Banking Officer ......................................................... “I am very involved with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) so I would support them”
Jason Mahoney , Vice President .............................. “I would give to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. It was founded by a child and her family to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. She was diagnosed as an infant and died when she was 8, but not before raising $1 million to aid in the fight. I have 2 young children that are the world to me and cannot imagine a life without them and I don’t believe that any parent should have to come face to face with losing their child before they have a chance to experience life.”
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Amita Howell, Customer Service Rep III ................................................. “I would choose the American Heart Association.”
$100,000 to give to a non-profit of , which charity would you choose?” Mary Grace Deese, AVP of Atlanta Market and Branch Manager ......................................................... “I would choose the Winship Institute to support their efforts in cancer research and recovery programs.”
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Zipporah Kiiru , Customer Service Rep ......................................................... “I would give $100,000 to Feed the Children.”
Twila Tryan , AVP, Private Banker ......................................................... “I would choose American Cancer Society. Many of my family members on both my mother’s and father’s sides have been affected by cancer. I would love to see a cure for cancer in my lifetime!”
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WARM HATS, WARM HEARTS This holiday season, HeritageBank Mortgage partnered with homebuilder, DR Horton, to collect socks and knit hats for the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency (ACSS). The ACSS works with homeless Georgians to help them get back into the workforce and on their feet. While there are many clothing donations for the homeless, these donations often lack essentials like socks and hats that help to keep people warm through the winter. In the months of November and December, more than 50 clothes hampers, plus dozens of bags and boxes filled with donations of socks, hats, and other warm clothing were collected at metro-Atlanta area DR Horton communities and HeritageBank Mortgage offices. A representative from ACSS said that it was the single largest clothes drive that they have ever had from one company. Mac Cregger, HeritageBank’s Area Manager for Builder Services who organized the clothing drive said, “Just to see the excitement in the eyes of the representative for ACSS as she told us we overwhelmed them made my day. We made a difference this holiday season to hundreds of people.” Thank you to everyone who donated.
For more information on ACSS, please visit www.atlantacss.org.
Who Keeps Albany and Dougherty County so Beautiful?
Albany, GA and all of its beauty is something that attracts
visitors from all over to the Good Life City. Its attractions like the Flint RiverQuarium, the Ray Charles statue and Chehaw Park are only some of the reasons why people love the area. But, who actually keeps the city so clean? The Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Campaign is to thank for this.
Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful is a certified affiliate of Keep
America Beautiful, Inc. Judy Bowles is the Executive Director of KADB and she takes pride in being an active member of such an influential committee. “I love that my job is different every day. I love to network with different people and I love that people actually have a passion to help make our environment a safer environment to live in.” KADB strives to change people’s attitudes and behavior towards the proper disposal of waste. They offer tools to help recycle, and help everyone become advocates of no littering for the protection of our environment. KADB works with the county of Dougherty and surrounding counties to educate citizens on the impact that littering and improper disposal of waste has on the environment.
The KADB strives to keep the environment in which we live
beautiful with its volunteer opportunities so that communities from all over will know just how beneficial it is to keep our environment clean. KADB hosts various volunteer opportunities that vary from Recycling, Graffiti Day, Adopt a Highway and the Water festival. Some of the most recognizable events include the “Stash-The-Trash” community wide litter removal event that has increased over the years to a total of 2,500 volunteers. They also partake in the “Rivers Alive” campaign. Rivers Alive is a state wide initiative that encourages the cleanup of Georgia’s lakes, rivers, and streams and KADB helps in keeping the Flint River clean. “Over the 24 years that I have been the Executive Director of Keep Albany-Dougherty beautiful the campaign has grown tremendously. I started with 5,000 volunteers and now the numbers are too big to count. I look forward to being a part of this campaign for years and years to come. It’s a very easy job to do when you love what you do,” says Bowles.
For the month of January the KADB hosts its “Business
Recycling Month”. This initiative is to raise awareness and to promote businesses to become more visually attractive. You don’t have to live in Albany to participate. For ways you can help make your community more beautiful, visit this website: www.kab.org.
The New
HBOS
Debit MasterCard® If your HBOS Visa® debit card is set to expire this year or you need to order a new card, you will automatically receive a new HBOS ® Debit MasterCard ! This means you’ll be able to access your money and use your card anywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted around the globe – in stores, online or by phone. You’ll still need to update your card information on your Amazon account, but it will be well worth the effort. ® With your HBOS Debit MasterCard you’ll get perks like MasterCard’s Zero Liability, which protects you from unauthorized purchases. You can also track and monitor your payments for better budgeting and control. ®
Need more incentive? Here are just a few more perks that will come with your HeritageBank of the South Debit MasterCard : ® MasterRental Insurance: When you use your MasterCard to rent a vehicle, you’re provided insurance for any covered damages incurred with that car. ®
Purchase Assurance Coverage: This coverage can apply when something you bought with your MasterCard is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date.
Extended Warranty Coverage: Insurance that doubles the original warranty period and duplicates the coverage of the original manufacturer’s warranty up to a maximum of 12 months.
MasterAssist: Provides emergency medical aid services not only for you, but for your spouse and children also, 24 hours a day, seven days a week while traveling. Personal travel assistance including information on visas and passports, customs and duty regulations as well as foreign exchange rates, and referrals to embassies and interpreters is also available to you at no charge.
VAT Reclaim Service: If you are a business owner, you are entitled to recover the Value Added Taxes (VAT) expenses that your company employees incur on foreign business travel.
Global Service: Provides worldwide, 24-hour assistance with lost and stolen card reporting, emergency card replacement and emergency cash advance. So, no matter where you go, you’re covered.
Remember, your card will have a new number. If you have recurring or automatic payments set up on your old debit card, please contact those merchants with your new card number to ensure continuous service.
As always, we’re here to help. Give us a call or visit your local branch if you need assistance activating your card or updating your payment information. Visit www.MasterCard.us for even more details about your new HBOS Debit MasterCard®. For complete coverage terms and conditions, call 1-800-MC-ASSIST (1-800-622-7747) for assistance. *Certain terms, conditions and exclusions apply.