2010 Volunteers of the Month - 2009 Volunteers of the Month
2008 Volunteers of the Month - 2007 Volunteers of the Month

December 2007 - Karen Bevan

Karen organized and led the first annual MaxFund golf tournament to benefit the MaxFund rehab range. Although this was a new event, it raised a resounding $5700! That is amazing! Karen was a huge reason why it was so successful. The event involved getting sponsors, players and donations and giving away prizes, making it fun for golders, etc. With such a big event, Karen worked hard for months. Without her, this event would not have been such a huge success.
She also volunteers countless hours at the shelter, helping out with the animals and helping with other events throughout the year.
Thank you Karen for all your hard work!

November 2007 - Cindy Jarrell

Cindy Jarrell is an outstanding, long-term volunteer at the MaxFund. Through her efforts with mobile adoptions, Cindy has single-handedly gotten over 500 cats adopted! Cindy coordinates adoptions at PetsMart, so she chooses the cats and looks after their well-being while they are on-site. She also works many other events each week, including the Belmar Farmer's Market, so our cats get a chance to find a home. Hundreds of cats can thank Cindy for being such a tireless and committed cat lover. In fact, many people probably think Cindy works at the MaxFund, because she is there so often.
Cindy also is a dedicated foster mom. She has taken in many cats to allow them to heal and find other homes. She has also taken in older cats, so they can live out their last days in a special home. Thanks to Cindy, many cats have gotten a second chance on life.
Thank you Cindy for your dedication and love of cats. The MaxFund is lucky to have you.

October 2007 - Donna Cashen

Donna is a dream volunteer and a true lover of all of MaxFund’s creatures. She has proven to be an invaluable volunteer in the Wellness Center. She takes the animals, especially the older and injured ones, out of their cages and spends quality time with them. She lets them play in the office, brushes them and loves them. She has a lap that the cats adore. Some of these animals, especially the cats, have no opportunity to get out of their cages. Because Donna takes them to the clinic office, they get a chance to roam free and enjoy life a little bit.
Donna is always thinking about what’s best for the animals. She will wrap up the ones who just got out of surgery and hold them. She buys food and special supplies for those animals that need it. Everything that she does is for the animals. She has a common sense approach and adds light whenever she is around. You’d think Donna works at the clinic given how often she is there. She was also the reason the clinic was able to start the yard. Of course, Donna is also great with humans. She is friendly and helpful to other volunteers and adds a loving presence.
Thank you Donna!

September 2007 - Eva Keleti

Eva is an amazing volunteer. She volunteers in the Champs program working with some of MaxFund longer term dogs. She is wonderful and loving with them, and she handles some of the more challenging ones. Although Eva initially intended to only work with the dogs, she has become a wonderful cat advocate. Each week after walking the dogs, she plays with and brushes the cats in the lobby and Incoming Room. She takes particular interest in some of the older and scared cats. She also works to get cats put on the foster list.
Eva is also a great resource regarding cats. She has her own FIV cats, so she is able to teach cat volunteers about FIV. With greater knowledge, more volunteers can help get the FIV cats adopted and stop people from being nervous about them. She also teaches volunteers and staff how to handle scared cats. Her knowledge and resources have been invaluable for the cats. Additionally, she participates in brainstorming and actions to get older cats adopted and feral cats socialized.
MaxFund is lucky to have Eva. Thank you Eva!

August 2007 - Cindy Engle

Cindy is a fantastic volunteer who cares so deeply for all our animals, especially the dogs. While spending tireless hours at the shelter working with the dogs, walking them and caring for them, she helps with their emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. In additional to doing the traditional walking, she brings new ideas to the shelter (such as flower essences and oils) to help the animals’ emotional and spiritual health. She brings them peace, love, health and common sense.
She also is a pleasure for those of us that are two-legged. She laughs a lot and brings a great perspective to all of us. The dogs and humans at MaxFund are better off because Cindy decides to volunteer at the shelter.
Thank you Cindy!

July 2007 - Ken Mann

Ken has put in countless hours working with the MaxFund dogs and the MaxFund Champs program for the several years he has been volunteering with MaxFund, and really deserves a pat on the back. He has worked with a lot of our more challenging-to-adopt animals, such as Molly Dharma and even helped Molly transition into her new home with my good friend, Kirk! He has not signed off on Molly and even visits her on occasion in her new home. In addition to helping with the dogs he also put in a number of hours into the recent Motorcycle Run with motorcycle-friendly.com, not only with helping plan and organize but helping publicize the event and helping the event run smoothly! One of Kens nominators wrote: "Ken was among the first of many friendly, loving and fun loving people that I knew I would just look up, or round the corner, and there they'd be, working and laughing and sharing knowledge and reassurance." Another nominator wrote "The amount of time and effort Ken put into this event was phenomenal, all the while keeping up his obligations to the MaxFund and the CHAMPS Program, and still finding time to visit, walk and baby sit "his girl", Molly Dharma. As a result, the entire event came off as one of the most well organized, generously supplied and fun motorcycle-centered fund-raisers in the area."
Thanks again for all your hard work, Ken!

June 2007 - Coco Wham

Coco's a very dedicated young volunteer! Even though she is only 13 years old, she spearheaded the campaign to get MaxFund on Extreme Makeover. She got 1652 petition signatures, and she created a video to send to the show. She's also been working with Carter & Highnoon productions on a TV show to remodel the nurses station. She had to interact with adults who sometimes did not have time to help. But she was persistent. She also came up with the emergency sticker idea, and pursued it diligently to a point where Matt could then pick it up and provide a professional finish. Coco can be seen almost every weekend at the MaxFund. She plays with cats, helps in the office and does anything asked of her.
Thank you Coco!

May 2007 - Anne Huddle

Anne took over the position of Foster Coordinator to place harder to adopt pets in homes. Since taking over, Anne has been vigilant about getting people to open their homes to our loving dogs and cats that otherwise might die at the shelter. For example, Dominic is an older cat with a thyroid problem who mostly sleeps. Most people who saw him in his cage felt sorry for him, but no one wanted to take him home. Anne found him a foster mom, and when the foster mom brought him back, Anne didn’t give up. She found him another home where he sleeps and gets the love he deserves in his old age. The dogs (including Sterling, Kodiak, Ariel, James, Valentino and Rusty) as well as the cats (including Kara, Benson, Estrellita, Dominic, Maurice, Blackjack, Cobra, Autumn, Louie, and Isabella) thank you!
Thank you Anne!