LETTER: Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA issues urgent appeal for support
By Shannon Shuttlesworth, Vice President, Ruth Steinert SPA
Our shelter is currently facing an unprecedented financial crisis. The recent increase in costs for essential supplies, medical treatments, and facility maintenance, combined with a significant decrease in donations, have severely impacted our funding sources.
The broader economic challenges the whole country is facing has placed a strain on many of our supporters, making it more difficult for them to contribute as much as they have in the past.
Many families across the country have been forced to make the difficult decision between feeding their pets or feeding their children. This, along with an increase of backyard breeders, has flooded shelters across the nation, including ours, with animals that need our help and support.
Our shelter, like many others across the country, really began to struggle at the tail end of the COVID pandemic in 2022. I believe a large membership change in the board of directors directly following that time period may have also been a contributing factor which left them ill-equipped to handle the many new financial challenges the shelter faced despite their best efforts.
When the now current board of directors was instated at the beginning of last year (2024_, the shelter had only enough funds to keep the doors open for a couple of months. With the help of our supporters, the blood and sweat of our employees and with new board direction, we were able to continue to keep the doors open for the remainder of the year.
This year, we were able to make many needed and overdue repairs and improvements to better the conditions for the health and safety of our employees and the animals in our care, while focusing on cutting costs and increasing fundraising activities.
The animals our shelter is able to save and protect every day need a guardian angel right now.
I know those people are out there and I truly hope they find it in their hearts to provide the financial support we need right now to continue our mission, keep the lights on, and our doors open.
Shannon Shuttlesworth, Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA.
How To Help
You can make a donation via GoFundMe or by sending a check to PO Box 332, Schuylkill Haven, Pa. 17972.
For other ways you may be able to support the shelter, call them at 570-345-3540 or email at [email protected]
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