Are you looking for ways to give back to the community but not sure where to start? That’s ok! We understand it can be difficult to decide which cause to support, which is why we’ve put together a list of 3 reasons why you should consider becoming a Hand in Paw Therapy Team!
There are not many volunteer opportunities where your dog or cat can tag along! But if you become a Hand in Paw Therapy Team, you can do just that!
Being a Therapy Team is a true team experience with your pet. You and your animal must be dedicated to completing the training and registration process which takes time, but is so worth it! Once you become a Therapy Team, you and your pet visit people dealing with emotional and physical life challenges in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other human service organizations. You both become a source of motivation, empathy and compassion to people of all ages and backgrounds who need it most!
Volunteering as a HIP Therapy Team is an amazing way to provide comfort and joy to others while also building an even deeper bond with your pet! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of helping people with your best furry friend by your side.
Since volunteering doesn’t pay the bills, it’s important to be able to choose a visit schedule that makes the most sense for you and your pet. The Hand in Paw Volunteer Department collaborates with local Program Partners to set up scheduled visits that are a great fit for both our Therapy Teams and the facility’s clients. These scheduled visit opportunities are then sent to our Therapy Teams to sign up for on a volunteer basis.
The great thing about this system is that our Therapy Teams can choose visit opportunities that not only fit within their work schedule, but also spark their interest! So, if you are passionate about visiting senior citizens, you could sign up to visit the elderly in a nursing home. Alternatively, if you know your dog loves kids, you could sign up to visit children in schools! It’s a win-win!
Many Hand in Paw visit opportunities require more than one Therapy Team, which means you’ll get to meet and work with lots of really amazing people. Hand in Paw volunteers are some of the kindest people out there, and many friendships have been formed on visits and at volunteer mixers!
We hope we have, because the more Therapy Teams we have on our roster, the more people we can visit! If you are interested in becoming a Therapy Team, you’ll first need to make sure you meet our pre-requisites before taking any further steps!
If you meet these requirements, please fill out an application on our website and our Volunteer Coordinator, Stephanie Stoltzner, will reach out to you! If you have any questions at all about volunteering with Hand in Paw, Stephanie is your girl. You can reach her by emailing stephanie@handinpaw.org
To see our full guide on becoming a Therapy Team, please visit our website. This guide will go over in detail all the expectations, qualifications, and walk you through the process step-by-step! We hope to see you soon!
