August 8, 2013: ACN Ride-a-long – Beth’s Story

A few weeks ago we were privileged to have writer/reporter Beth Robinson join the Animal Care Network team Rose, Kim and Bob on a Saturday ACN run in Pontiac to see what the program is all about.

Please take a moment to read her profound words about the program and the volunteers that dedicate their hearts and time to the community and animals that we target and assist. Once again, I cannot say enough about our amazing volunteers and their dedication, compassion and commitment to this program!!!

Thank you Beth for your interest and taking the time! And for taking these awesome pictures of the day!

Hi Pam- I can see why you wanted the team recognized as heroes. Now that I see what you all do when you go out there, that you willingly see what no one wants to know, and have to face and live with the heartbreak of what you can’t fix, the heroism of continuing to do what you can do is profound. The combination of knowledge, skill, experience, bravery, diplomacy and perseverance is inspiring. I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to spend the day with ACN. It was an eye-opening experience for me, and really helped me shape a project that I’m working on. I also got some photos that I’ll share as soon as I have a chance to process them. I’d love to join you guys monthly, and might eventually, but in the meantime, if you find yourself shorthanded on a crew sometime and I can fill in, please feel free to contact me. I don’t know if I have either the courage or the diplomacy, but I’m always happy to carry stuff!

Yesterday I interviewed someone who works with the homeless and I asked if he felt that their work was making a statistical impact on the problem in Oakland County and basically, it’s not. For every family they get into housing, another family ends up in untenable financial straits to replace them. What he said though was that he knows that he’s helping the people he does serve, and I think I heard something similar from each of the ACN volunteers that I interviewed, that they focus on what can be done.

The Jewish tradition on repairing the world says “It is not upon you to finish the work, but you are not free to desist from it.” And that’s what I admire so much – that willingness to continue the work, even knowing there is no cure in sight. I can only imagine how often you must each ask yourself if it’s worth it and I would guess that at least an equal number of times you find the answer in the eyes of an animal who has food, water, shelter and care they didn’t have before you showed up. This is why I tell these stories, in the hope that I am helping to increase the number of people who choose not to desist from the work of the world.

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