365 Days of CARES

It’s hard to believe Christmas is just a week away. With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season it’s easy to get a little bit stressed —OK, maybe a lot stressed — over the chaos of it all.

You’re worried if you’ve gotten the perfect gifts for all the people on your list. You’re worried if you left someone off your list. You’re dreading fighting the crowds at the stores and the traffic on the roads.

You’re trying to figure out how to fit all the holiday parties into your schedule. You’re hoping your house is decorated just right. You’re trying to figure out what your holiday menu will be. And before long, you’re yearning for the quietness of January.

In the midst of it all, this season is also a time to reflect. It’s a time to find a minute or two to be still and think about the many ways our lives have been blessed in the past year. It’s even a time to ponder about how we may have helped others through their journeys.

That’s precisely what my nonprofit animal welfare group, Central Georgia CARES, did recently as we prepare to wind down 2016. We wanted to get an idea of the impact we made this year alone on the Middle Georgia community, the animals in need and the people who love them. We call it 365 Days of CARES.

CARES focuses on our mission of helping others and educating others about the needs of animals. We know the more we’re able to raise awareness about kindness to animals, the more compassionate a community we will become.

And because we clearly understand the strong, unbreakable bond between animals and humans, we have honored our commitment to help both animals and people in need. This is a model we believe to be somewhat unique among animal welfare organizations. And it’s a model we’ve found to be beneficial for our community as CARES has been blessed to share energy, attention and assets to help others. We’ve done so since our inception.

This year has been no exception. I’m proud to report in just 2016 alone CARES provided more than $30,000 to help animals and the people who love them.

The majority of this support was disbursed in the form of surgeries for spays and neuters. So CARES made a significant positive impact on the tremendous overpopulation issue that plagues Middle Georgia.

We were also able to fund our Unchain Macon program in which CARES helps qualified individuals with tethered dogs by providing kennels and houses. The joy of watching a dog being released from years of life on a chain and realizing for the first time he can run around a kennel is indescribable.

This year, CARES distributed more than 5,000 pounds of dog and cat food to qualified people to help keep their pets well nourished. And we continue to feed hungry feral dogs and cats around Middle Georgia while we also spay and neuter those animals as well.

CARES has achieved tons more in 2016 that space prevents elaboration on. Such as reuniting more than 100 lost pets with their families, logging thousands of volunteer hours and doing all these magnificent things strictly through volunteers. CARES has no paid staff.

I’m so proud of the work CARES has done this year. But I’m especially proud since we’ve accomplished it all through the generosity of donors. Kind people who share our love for animals and share our vision for a more compassionate community helped us make 2016 so successful.

Help us make 2017 even more spectacular. Partner with CARES in the progressive initiatives planned for the New Year. Send your end-of-year deductible contribution to PayPal at acpupfund@yahoo.com or mail to CARES, P. O Box 7498, Macon, Georgia 31209. The animals will be blessed because you care and share.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 6:32 PM with the headline "365 Days of CARES."