 With a goal of meeting new people with a like-minded focus on helping people and pets, Daniela C., a devoted mom to cats Graffiti and Gaijin and dogs Pecas and Sancho, has made an indelible mark since joining Phinney’s. Before assuming her current roles, Daniela served as Phinney’s president and has continually worked to propel our mission forward—and we cannot thank her enough for her leadership and devotion. Daniela says what she has found most meaningful about the work she does for Phinney’s is that she’s able to help others—furry or not! Her advice to anyone who's thinking about joining the cause of helping to keep people and their beloved pets together is to do it. “I have met such wonderful people through Phinney’s,” she adds. Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents. 
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 Laura is a passionate cat mom who joined Phinney’s mission because she loves pets so much! As a communications professional and storyteller, she says there’s nothing more gratifying than being able to get the word out about what we do to help keep people and the pets they love together. “Phinney’s is comprised of an amazing group of volunteers who each show their passion and commitment in unique ways,” she says, strongly encouraging anyone with an interest in volunteering to reach out about how they can get involved. “As an all-volunteer nonprofit, the sky really is the limit on the types of projects and initiatives you can pursue given your interests, talents, and aspirations for learning new things,” she adds. “If you’re looking for a supportive and friendly environment where you can make unique and meaningful contributions to help keep people and their pets together, this is it!” Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents.
 Rebecca, who’s mom to Cash the Cat and Ender the dog, was drawn to volunteer because of her desire to help companion animals and their humans. Rebecca first worked with a legal aid organization immediately after law school where she helped people navigate the legal system to remain in their homes. Now, she is an animal rights attorney. So, Rebecca instantly fell in love with the mission of Phinney’s and is dedicated to working with the Board of Directors to contribute to the strength and longevity of the organization. We can’t thank Rebecca enough for spearheading our Legacy program, which gives people many options to support our cause while living and after. Her advice to anyone who’s thinking about volunteering for Phinney’s is to consider the many ways you can get involved and embrace the opportunity to contribute to the community while learning new skills and making new friends. Join the Fabric of Phinney’s!
Together, Phinney’s volunteers weave a fabric that blankets people and pets with love. Visit phinneys.org/volunteer if you would like to help us grow our special “quilt” by volunteering your own time and talents.
 Please join us in congratulating Judy Bell, Phinney's longtime vice president, on her new role as our president. We’re thrilled to announce that longtime Phinney’s volunteer, Judy Bell, has been appointed president.
As our vice president for the past seven years, Judy knows so much about our day-to-day operations, our strategic objectives, and nonprofit business administration in general. In addition to volunteering with Phinney’s, she has served as Clerk and Chair of our Fundraising Committee and previously assisted the Money Management, Protective Services and Meals On Wheels programs at Minuteman Senior Services. “Judy is extremely capable, organized and committed to Phinney’s cause of helping low-income people keep their pets,” says our outgoing President Morgan Ritz, who is taking over as our Fundraising Chair. Together, Judy, Morgan, and a team of other volunteers are busy planning our upcoming Holiday Festival, which takes place November 6 at Lincoln’s Pierce House. After a multi-year hiatus due to the pandemic, this will be such an amazing event for everyone who attends. Judy is also looking forward to working with our board of directors and volunteers on identifying new ways of raising awareness and funding, so Phinney’s can help more people and pets with expanded resources long into the future. “I look forward to leading us into a new phase of hope and renewal,” Judy says. We thank Morgan and Judy so much for their selfless contributions to our mission and look forward to our bright future.  Mark your calendars because Phinney's Holiday Festival is back for 2022, and you won't want to miss this festive spectacular to benefit people and pets in need! OK, so there's still plenty of summer sun to soak up, but our fundraising committee is already hard at work planning Phinney's Holiday Festival, so we couldn't wait to share the news that this capstone event is back for 2022!
We hope you'll save the date on your calendar right now so you can be sure to join us at Lincoln's Pierce House on Sunday, November 6. It's been awhile since we've all been able to gather together, so this year's Festival will be an extra special celebration for all! Stay tuned to email and social media announcements about the entertainment lineup, wares you'll be able to peruse and buy in time for the holidays, and so much more! And in the meantime, visit Phinney's event page to learn more.  Listen to Phinney's inaugural debut to the world of podcasts as an invited guest on Pet Life Radio's 19 Cats and Counting! Phinney’s has entered the world of podcasts with an appearance on Pet Life Radio’s 19 Cats and Counting.
Our president, Morgan Ritz, and Rachel Geller, who is available to help the Phinney’s community (and really anyone worldwide) with cat behavior issues, did a phenomenal job at educating podcast listeners on Phinney's mission of keeping people and their beloved pets together. Whether someone needs our help because they can't afford to treat their pet’s illness or injury, they become temporarily homeless, they need a boost of pet supplies to get them through a tough time, or they encounter another issue they just can't conquer alone, Phinney’s may be able to help. The more people who know about and support our unique mission the better, and we are furever grateful to 19 Cats and Counting for letting us share our story with the world!  High gas, food, housing, and other prices are no match for an altruistic spirit, and we've got 5 budget-friendly giving ways that show just that! Gas prices in Massachusetts have taken a dip, down to an average of $4.63 per gallon this week, according to AAA.
That's good news, but the reality is that prices on gas, food, housing, and other necessities are still very high and are hitting many people hard. But, while times can be tough, fortunately for the people and pets who need us, there are many budget-friendly ways to show support for nonprofits like Phinney's: Get creative with birthday, wedding, and other tokens of celebration or tribute for your loved ones -- For instance, when you make a donation to Phinney's Honor Wall, we can send an acknowledgement note letting them know that a gift has been made in their honor to help people and pets in need. So, you can give one gift that can do so much good for so many! Become a Phinney's Godparent -- Our Godpets need ongoing help with pet food, supplies, and even vet bills, and you can designate the amount you want to give one-time, or on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, making this a budget-conscious way to give. You can learn more on our website about how to become a Godparent. Like and share Phinney's (@phinneys) posts on social media -- When you share our content with your network on Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter, you're helping get the word out about our mission. The more people who know about the services we provide to those who need help is a win for nonprofits like Phinney's! Become a Forever Friend to Phinney's -- Planned giving is a simple way to benefit Phinney's while living or after, and you can learn more on how to become a Forever Friend here. Join Phinney's volunteer team -- Phinney's is always looking for new people to join us on our quest to help low income people and their pets stay together! Right now we have several volunteer opportunities available. If you have interest in getting involved through client coordination, PR/media, grants, event coordination, video production, tech support, social media, or other areas, you can check out our currently volunteer listings on VolunteerMatch or email info@phinneys.org.  Securing affordable housing can be stressful, and many low-income pet parents may experience an added layer of anxiety because that reasonably priced place to live also needs to accommodate their pets.
Why It’s Important Having stable, safe, and affordable housing is important to the quality of life of so many people and their pets. And being able to identify pet-friendly housing options can be critical for making sure the fur family can stay together. Here are 5 ways to help make the process of finding pet-friendly housing go more smoothly:
Check Out These Resources Visit our Care Corner web page for resources that will make your search for low-income pet-friendly housing just a little easier. What You Can Do To Help Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering. And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit our Get Help page for more information.  You may recall that last year we helped Muffin, an elderly beauty, get the vet care needed to treat embedded nails in her paw pads. Muffin did well post-surgery, but unfortunately she developed another embedded nail in her paw pad recently. Her mom, Jessica, noticed that Muffin looked like she was standing on something, so she reached out to Phinney’s because she couldn’t afford the treatment Muffin would need. Phinney’s was able to pay for the vet visit where they cleaned the nail, cut it, and treated Muffin with medication. We’re so glad we were able to help Muffin again, and that we were again able to counsel Jessica on how to keep up a proper nail trim regime. At age 16, Muffin's nails are growing differently, and on top of it all, she doesn’t like to be handled much anymore. And while we know how important it is to be sensitive to that fact, we also know that all cats, regardless of their age, need continual care. Ignoring regular nail trims can turn into a serious, urgent, and potentially life-threatening matter if the paw pad becomes infected and anything like pee or poop from their litter box or other debris gets into the wound. Fortunately, Muffin is recovering well from this most recent issue with her nails, and a mom's family member will help her keep track of the nails from now on. Muffin is not keen AT ALL about her bandage, but, hey, we hope it’s some consolation for Muffin to know that it is the prettiest shade of pink! We wish her all the best on her continued road to recovery. We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your cat’s nails properly trimmed. An embedded nail can be very painful, and it can lead to serious infection if left untreated. Don’t delay if you notice any of the following:
Immediately contact your veterinarian to examine your cat’s paws if you observe any of those things. And if you’re not comfortable trimming your cat’s nails (Remember: NEVER trim at or below the quick of the nail), plan on booking a nail trim with your vet or an experienced and reputable groomer in your area. Regular nail trims (about every two weeks) can help avoid a situation like the one Muffin has experienced. And you can learn more about the importance of nail care by visiting Phinney’s Care Corner. Nail Care for Elderly Cats In general, elderly cats may experience thicker, weaker, and drier nails, The Nest reports. Their nails can easily split, break, or become overgrown, and some older cats might have trouble retracting their nails, too, which is yet another reason to monitor a cat’s nails regularly! Also, elderly cats might not be as interested in their scratching posts or scratch pads as when they were younger given nail weakness. So, to manage their nail care, consider filing in addition to regular nail trims. And consider that overgrowth of a cat’s nails could be a sign of osteoarthritis, so if you observe this, schedule an appointment so your veterinarian can rule out a potential medical issue.  GreatNonprofits has named Phinney's a Top-Rated Nonprofit two years in a row! We’re purroud to announce that Phinney’s has been named a Top-Rated Nonprofit for 2022!
Being a great nonprofit is something Phinney’s has prided itself on since we began our mission more than 25 years ago, and we’re so humbled by the outpouring of heartfelt community support we continue to receive. The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on a rating and number of reviews received from volunteers, donors, and aid recipients. “Phinney’s is a great example of a nonprofit making a real difference in their community,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, which recognized Phinney's with this distinguished award for the second consecutive year in a row. With growing inflation, we anticipate that many more people and their pets may need our help in the coming months, and we're committed to meeting any increased demand for our services. And with our community endorsers calling our support for people and pets alike a win-win, we're confident we can rise to the challenge and meet those needs. Thank you again to everyone for showing your tremendous support of our cause, we couldn't do what we do without your continued support. |
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Phinney's is an all-volunteer registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps low-income people keep their pets. U.S. federal tax ID 94-3475924. All content on this website is the property of Phinney's Friends, Inc. unless otherwise noted. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
PO Box 425, Lincoln, MA 01773
Phone: 617-203-2053 Fax: 617-979-8705 |
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