Community Involvement
Southern Paws and Tails
Southern Paws and Tails is a wonderful publication and I am happy to have been writing educational articles for them for over a decade. You can find my articles as the veterinarian writing the “Vet’s View” section each quarter. I chose to become involved with this publication because I share Ramona Chisolm’s goals. She wants to help educate all pet owners’, promote adoption/rescuing pets from overpopulated shelters, and prevent pets from being surrendered. Knowledge is power and writing various educational articles gives people the ability to be better pet parents and gain a better understanding of animals in general. Spreading educational information through this publication arms people to better understand diseases, behavioral issues, and various other pet related information. This allows them to better interact with pets and create stronger bonds between pet owners and their babies. It also features a section with just a few of the many animals that need homes.
Ramona Chisolm gives us an insight into her passion for Southern Paws and Tails in her own words:
“My decision to launch Southern Paws & Tails magazine was a long-time dream that I finally put into action in December 2005. I have always adored animals, growing up with several generations of dogs and cats. Pets seems to provide unconditional love and loyalty that we, as humans, just can’t resist. As a writer/graphic designer and animal lover, I decided to combine two of my passions into one: publishing a publication about animals for pet lovers in the Midlands of South Carolina.
Southern Paws & Tails is a quarterly glossy, full-colored magazine offering readers valuable information about caring for dogs, cats and exotic animals from reliable sources, reputable organizations and animal specialists, while promoting the rescue and adoption of shelter pets.
Nearly 18 years later, I am still committed to producing a magazine that readers and advertisers can trust and be proud of. Through the challenges of navigating an ever-changing media industry, the impact of the pandemic and global economic changes, the magazine maintains its mission of providing a wealth of information to our readers every season!
This mission would have never come to fruition without the assistance and support of writers, veterinarians and other animal care takers who contributed their time and talent to the pages of Southern Paws & Tails: Dr. Emily Hoppmann, Dr. Louise Burpee, Jennifer Marthers, Romana Gould and Karen Fitch.
The magazine has been kept afloat financially through the unwavering support of advertisers and subscribers. If you own a business, please consider advertising your product or service to our readers. If you are a pet parent or love pets, get a yearly subscription for just $15. Subscriptions also make a great gift to a fellow pet lover! These funds help with printing and mailing, and most of all, continuing to advocate for responsible pet care and rescue organization adoptions.”
Learn more about Southern Paws and Tail, find a link to getting a subscription to the magazine, and a link to advertising your business with this publication Here.
Galatians 6:2 Homeless and Hunger Outreach Center
“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”
Galatians 6:2 is a Veteran-founded and volunteer-operated tax-exempt nonprofit organization that needs the support of its community. The organization is in full support of the homeless, hungry and underserved members of the community. Located in Elgin, SC at 879 C White Pond Road the organizations main focus is on the members of our local community, but has a reach all the way to North Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They truly believe and put into action that if we work hand-in-hand, we can work together to bring positive change to the community. However, that means working hand-in-hand through donations, volunteering, and coming together for the events that they host.
I first met April when she became part of the Elgin Veterinary Hospital Family when she brought her dog Six in for an exam. I really enjoyed Six’s first visit and all his visits since that first day and April was obviously a wonderful doggy mom and a very sweet, loving person. We did not discuss what she did for a living, so you can imagine my surprise when I stopped by Galatians 6:2 to see what Elgin Veterinary Hospital could do to help with this community center focused on helping the homeless and hungry in Elgin, SC. The founder and face of this organization and her sidekick were very familiar – it was April and Six! This felt like a sign, I was meant to stop by, do whatever I could to help, and it was kismet that two local female business owners were drawn together to help our community. I have always felt that small businesses are what turn a small town into a community and Elgin Veterinary Hospital has always tried to do its best to improve the community around us.
At Galatians they believe that “it only takes one kind act to make a positive impact” and that “together we can find a way to make things better”. Knowing everything about Galatians made it not only a cause that Elgin Veterinary Hospital wants to support, but that it would a high priority in giving support. We are a drop-off point for any and all donations for Galatians, so please bring food and supplies if you are heading our way for an appointment or just in the area. There are lists of suggested items that they are needed and every little bit helps. Their Community Food Pantry is open the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Their unsheltered homeless outreach consists of continuously traveling around Kershaw, Richland, and Lexington Counties interacting with the unsheltered homeless populations. They determine their needs and provide them with bags of toiletries, non-perishable foods and food gift cards. They also host events, “Bless Somebody Else Days”, where they serve hot meals while giving out the above listed items, as well as health care items, clothing, inclement weather items and blankets.
They also provide furniture and household items to Veterans transitioning out of homelessness into independent living or women leaving abusive situations. This is another huge opportunity to help – not only with donations, but with help transporting this furniture to the sites and assisting with getting the furniture set-up. If you are able bodied and/or have a truck, please help in this much needed area.
They also have a program called “Our Bridging the Gap Program” that provides computers and internet to low-income families at low cost and, in some cases, no cost. They assist clients with applications for benefits, basic computer skills training, job training and various other resources.
How Can You Get Involved:
· Call to Volunteer: 803-973-0262
· Visit Their Website That Has Links of Needed Items: https://galatians62.com
· Donate Financially at: support@galatians62.com
· Donate Through Cash App at: $galatians62
· Bring Donations to Their Location at: 879 C White Pond Road Elgin, SC 29045
· Bring Donations to Satellite Locations at: Elgin Veterinary Hospital
1240 Pine Street Elgin, SC 29045
803-408-0383
alwaysdonoharm@gmail.com
Most Needed Items - Pantry
Most Needed Items - Homeless Outreach
Elgin Veterinary Hospital's Little Free Library
"Take a Book, Leave a Book, Share a Book."
Elgin Veterinary Hospital is proud to announce that we now have our own Little Free Library located next to the front parking lot area of the hospital at 1240 Pine Street in Elgin, SC 29045. We are so excited to be a part of this multi-national organization where the goal is building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access. There are over 150,000 individual libraries in over 120 countries that have had hundreds of thousands books shared. The goals of the Little Free Library are carried out through people who share this vision and provide lending libraries where an entire community can take a book to read, return it for another person to enjoy, and leave a new book for others to read. Elgin Veterinary Hospital, as a business and as a team, feels that the founding goals of the Little Free Library are also goals of ours so we wanted to get involved. We hope this lending library brings additional joy to people’s lives, inspires the imagination of many, and instills and helps continue cultivate a love of reading in our amazing community.
Veterinary Medicine is a profession where we have the luxury of learning something new every single day; however, a great deal of the foundation of our basic knowledge came from books. All of us are avid readers and enjoy all types of books for the sake of knowledge, fun or simply a relaxing reading session. Days can be filled with all types of emotions, from happiness to sadness, but books can take us away from the grind of every day to anywhere we want to go. Books give us a way to escape into our imaginations and into any adventure without having to take a single step. Books are so many things - givers of knowledge, pleasures, dreams, journeys, and adventures. One small item, a book, can open up our eyes to so much about the world that is extraordinary. If you have not had the pleasure of this experience, then that is exactly what the Little Free Library is here for. Come and borrow a book and give it a try. People can borrow a new book and start a new journey and are encouraged to leave a book or books that you have read so that others can experience them too. This will succeed only if we all work together as a community to borrow and return books as well as donate books that you want to share with others. If there is not room in the library for you to leave your donation when you stop by, please either leave them in the white box next to the front door or with one of our employees. We will place them in the library as soon as there is room to keep the circle going. We hope this is a just another way for the community to come together to enrich all of our lives. They say that small businesses can help turn a small town into a community and we hope that the addition of our Little Free Library will continue to strengthen our fabulous community.
Name/Charter Number: Elgin Veterinary Hospital #164819
Little Free Library
****Under Construction - Please Donate Books Now to Help Us Stock the Shelves****