Week 42 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Miles Neighborhood Streets ...

Nothing but Blue Skies

Years of fixing potholes and street light, bi-annual roll-offs, bi-annual Brush & Bulky, backed up by Environmental Services terrific 48-hour Dumping pickup services helped create a clean and safe neighborhood that everyone is proud to call home.

While collecting donation this past Sunday I couldn’t help but notice how clean and quiet our neighborhood streets were. Every corner I turned opened up to another clean street. Besides me, the only other people who get to see the whole Miles Neighborhood on display are the UPS, FedEx, Amazon and USPS drivers. So, after dropping off our donations at PACC today, I drove the neighborhood again taking images of what I see every Sunday. It makes me smile and hope it makes you happy, too.

12th Street east to Highland Ave.

Miles Street east to Cherry

Miles Street east to Campbell

13th Street east to Cherry

13th Street east to Campbell

Manlove west to Highland Ave.

Now Some Cross Streets

Santa Rita north to Broadway

 Highland Ave. to north Broadway

Cherry Street to north Broadway

Vine, Warren and Martin look just as sparkling clean.

This week we donated 75.2 lbs. of pet food and $89.11 in cash and two check. In addition, PACC received a Trump catnip doll, a pill bottle, a small collar and harness and a very nice yellow retractable lead.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 41 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Rescued Critters Need Food, a Forever Home ... and Space

Steve, my neighbor and friend, has been mulling over his retirement from the railroad recently. Moving to Texas came up, so has settling into a cabin he owns up north. In between, Steve talks about caring for his cats and how they give so much meaning to this daily life.

About a week ago, I suggested he take part of his ample home and turn it into a cat shelter. He doesn’t have to adopt cats he could just become a very cat-friendly foster home for kittens. PACC would love it.

Steve is already a major contributor to our Rescued Critters Food Drive so helping PACC is always on the table. In that initial conversation he was seriously considering the idea. To help define the concept of fostering further I said, “you know, besides donations and pet food, what PACC needs most is SPACE.” (I leaned on the word, a bit.) “They care for 17,000 rescued pets a year. With that many animals, they really need SPACE.

“Space,” Steve replied thoughtfully. 

Related Video: 12-year-old foster care expert. https://www.thedodo.com/videos/close-to-home/12-year-old-girl-fosters-kittens-nonstop

Monday’s Delivery

After turning in our donation, I ran into Bennett, our PACC contact and manager, as it were. He is always in demand with his smartphone chiming every minute or two, but he never fails to spends a few minutes with me.

I told Bennett about my conversation with Steve and the concept of space for the 17,000 rescues. He immediately talked about fostering and added that with a new, beautiful building, talking about space may upset some tax payers. That makes perfect sense. Then I told Bennett, I’ll start talking about fostering and space in the same sentence. Folks don’t associate both ideas when they consider fostering.

Then I thought about our $0.90 cents per pound idea. In general, how much space does one rescue pet take? While waiting for Bennett to get back to me, I’ll make a few calculations myself.

As Bennett left for his meeting, I thought about the day I rescued my Cody. He was in a cage with two other dogs just itching to get out. When the door was opened, he bolted past the volunteer and me and headed to the other end of the huge tent. (Remember, what PACC looked line in the old days?)

Cody is a solitary dog and he likes he space. I didn’t know that then. I just thought he wanted to escape again. Well, maybe that was on his mind, too.

Back to the cages, if the space size is 4 feet by 3 feet for dogs that would be 12 sq. ft. Multiply that by 17,000 and you get 204,000 sq. ft. Now let’s see, one football field is 57,600 sq. ft. so if you housed 17,000 pets at once you would need 3.5 football fields.

This is why fostering pets for a while is such a good idea, but keep in mind that you are also donating much need SPACE to PACC. Think of it as if you were babysitting your sister’s kids or your grand kids for that  matter. Not only are you providing a safe shelter, but you are allowing the parents to revitalize themselves. You know that. And that’s why you do it. PACC needs the same SPACE consideration.

This week we donated 135.3 lbs. of pet food and $118.00 in cash and one check. Again, a most generous week.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 40 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Standing Up is Catching On

in the Miles Neighborhood

Got the following email notice on May 20^th from Becky Flores in the Development Services Department, Neighborhood Services.

GREETINGS:

Don't Forget To Use The One Entitled 

Neighborhood Association Mailing by June 07, 2019

The rest of the email told me I could send out a postcard, meeting notice or newsletter.

Huh! The newsletter piqued my interest because I was mulling over ways to tell folks about my alley clean-up project. A 4-color mailer could really get the job done quickly. I called Becky and she said I had a choice between a 2- or 4-page newsletter.

That was Monday, by Wednesday, the 23^rd, I had approval on a 2-page newsletter and now all I had to do was wait by the mail box. Many days before June 7^th the newsletter arrived. Nice surprise. The next surprise was my neighbor Rich on 13^th Street stopped me while walking my pups and asked to be put on the list. He got it that he would become the contact for his alley. He smiled as if he liked the responsibility. Started cleaning that alley today.

A few days later I received an email from Brenda, on 13^th Street near Campbell Avenue. We’ll meet tomorrow.

After my last call Sunday, I met two neighbors, Chloe and Dayne who are new to the neighborhood. We had a very pleasant conversation about fixing up their home, and of course, different ways to spiff up the alley.

Clean alleys are important but having neighbors who want to keep them clean … that’s the best.

Speaking of standing up, this week we donated 139.4 lbs. of pet food and $135.70 in cash and one check. Also, there were hand towels, pill bottles and harnesses. You might have guessed; this is one of the most generous weeks ever.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 39-Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Asking for help makes for
a very safe neighborhood

When I moved into the Miles Neighborhood at the start of 2003, there were a lot of homeless living in the wash and traipsing the neighborhood daily. Not a secure situation but we all just lived with it.

About a year after I founded One Can A Week in 2009, Bill Richards, the then president of the Miles Neighborhood Association, introduced me to Maen Mdanat, the new owner of the Axis Food Mart one Sunday afternoon. We hit it off right from the beginning because he was incredibly sincere.

In the next few months we had lots of conversations and I got an idea. I asked Maen if he could help me clean up the neighborhood and get rid of the problem customers, those that slept and drank in the alley; the panhandlers, too.

Turns out, Maen was in the Jordanian Army and was trained for such assignments. Click on the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktr_XzKdJEU)

On my side of the bargain, I helped Maen put in a scanner and increase the number of women customers by about 90%. In those early days, few women came to the store because there was always a chance of harassment. I may have brought up the subject, but Maen solved the problem with his charming personality and scores of verbal and physical smack downs. 

On my side of the bargain, I helped Maen put in a scanner and increase the number of women customers by about 90%. In those early days, few women came to the store because there was always a chance of harassment. I may have brought up the subject, but Maen solved the problem with his charming personality and scores of verbal and physical smack downs.

Next, I learned about the Environmental Services’ roll-off program—not sure how, though—and since there was no Miles Neighborhood Association president at the time—I got 10 neighbor signatures and we were good to go.

As days passed, I fixed the potholes a number of times, worked with Vice Mayor and Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres to help get the attention of folks at Tucson Department of Transportation and Environmental Services. There was always a backlog of some sort, but he and Mark Kerr, his Chief of Staff, were able to move Miles to the head of the line.

Recently, I met Pat Tapia, Deputy Director, Environmental and General Services Department, and the word “clean-up” became a key element in the safety of the Miles Neighborhood. Both Environmental Services and the Tucson Police Department make it known that “A clean neighborhood is a safe neighborhood,” and they are doing everything in their power to help.

You may have noticed lately that piles of trash such as mattresses, tires, furniture, etc. disappear quickly. That is Pat’s doing. When I see piles anywhere in Miles, I take a photo and send Pat an email explaining the situation. Within 24-48 hours his team picks it up. By the way, the mattress and small dresser on S. Martin will be disappeared by Wednesday.

Right now, with Pat’s help, we have cleaned up alleys for Josie and Lee and those alleys are staying that way. Folks even stop my weed whacking to thank me.

On May 31^st, I published a 13-page guide explaining how one person who really loves his or her neighborhood can make things very clean and safe. You just have to talk to folks and ask for help.

For a copy of the guide, please email pnorback@cox.net. I am hoping you have friends in another neighborhood who may want to make a big change, too. So, just pass it forward. And thanks.

This week we donated 18.7 lbs. of pet food and $61.20 in cash and two checks.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 38 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Cause

This week we donated 162.7 lbs. of pet food and $76.28 in cash and two checks. That translates into 247.5 lbs. of pet food for the week. Since our new average is 124 lbs. per week—from 83 lbs.— to attain our new goal, it appears we are going to crush that one, too. (See below.)

Steve, my neighbor and friend, loves cats and he lives and takes very good care of a number of them. He also takes care of a number of cat charities in town and decided to put our Rescued Critters Food Drive on his list. Besides the volume of food Steve donates each week, I like the exercise I get hefting all those bags from his home to my home and then to PACC on Monday. My doctor says he likes it, too … the hefting. 

Effect

So far this year, our total pet food donation to PACC is 5,192.6 lbs. With 14 weeks to go, we can easily make 3.2 tons or 6,490 lbs. of pet food.

But just think, if another cat or dog lover steps up like Steve, we will achieve a goal that will put the Miles Neighborhood in the record books … and feed so many thousands of rescued dogs and cats.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 37 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Always Better than Our Average

This week we donated 15.3 lbs. of pet food and $68.25 in cash and one check. That translates into 91.1 lbs. of pet food for the week.

Based on our original formula, we needed to donate 83 lbs. of pet food each week to PACC to reach 4,333 lbs. in one year. Last week we met that goal and we still have 15 weeks to go. So, our actual weekly average is 124.8 lbs. If we keep it up, this will generate another ton of food for an annual total of 6,490.6 lbs. or 3.3 tons.

Yeah, Miles.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 36 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Almost as Good as a Ride Along

For years, I’ve had an open invitation for anyone who wishes to join me on my Sunday collections and my Monday deliveries. He or she just has to ask. To date, no one has.

On Saturday, Steve, my friend and neighbor, gave me four thirty-pound bags of cat food that were resting at our feet. (He had already dropped another bag at my home earlier in the week.)

We were standing in his driveway and my truck was parked at the curb 10 feet away. “What do you do with these,” he asked? I take them to PACC on Monday around 1 pm after they open at noon, I responded.

Huh, I’ll bet a lot of folks have that same question, I thought. Then an idea jumped into my head. What if I take my camera phone and my Nikon SLR tripod on a Ride Along? (Velcro and duct tape was the glue that bonded the relationship.) This approach may help my participants see exactly how I collect, tally and deliver all their donations to Pima Animal Care Center.

To start, that’s me above admiring all their generosity … and Steve sure can see how much he is helping rescued cats.  

Next, I carefully load the truck. There was so much food this time I had to include my new black wheelbarrow. Notice the camera phone squeezed in some of the garden stuff, especially the milkweed on the right. 

With my truck in the background, the camera phone captured me struggling to balance the 160 lb. plus load and the PACC hours of operation sign.

PACC wants all the food donations delivered to the front desk, stacked neatly, of course.

I was drafted during Nam so I understand the concept of, “hurry up and wait” Interesting that the camera phone caught some of that military bearing.

PACC calls them clerks, (see the bottom of the receipt below), but I prefer Customer Service Representative. Those folks have to know a lot in addition to just taking cash and in-kind donations. The wait sometime is 10 or 15 minutes because the CSRs must explain the whole process to people adopting a pet that includes pet owner responsibilities and medical services provided by PACC. They never let a pet go without lots of paper signing and lots of words about pet care.

My turn comes and it only takes a few minutes to complete the transaction. The CSR counts the money and then tells me the amount. I check my Inventory Sheet (below) to see if we match. We always do because she’s good and I check my work many times before I get to PACC.

All the cash and check donations are counted according to denomination. Even the change is counted in four different sandwich bags. That helps me keep the count straight and helps the CSR make an accurate count … every time.

The food is counted by adding the ounces of each can size and dividing the total by 16 ounces.

Lastly, special items like harnesses, towels and pill bottles are listed in the last column.

The In-Kind form is filled out before I go to PACC. It’s an honor system and is similar to Good Will. The donor is responsible of the accuracy of the form and the value, if any, placed on the donation for tax purposes. None of the Rescued Critters Food Drive donations are given a tax value nor does anyone claim a tax credit. We are strictly a donation vehicle, not a legal entity such as a non-profit.

This is the official cash and check receipt. It is stapled to the In-Kind form and the Inventory Sheet. Each week has these three documents as our official record. From time to time we compare notes with PACC accounting to make sure everything we donate is recorded accurately.

The Best for Last

This week we donated 165.0 lbs. of pet food and $58.96 in cash and one check.

So, in Week 36, we reached our annual PACC donation goal of 4,333 lbs. In fact, we surpassed the goal by 194.4 lbs. for a total of 4,527.4 lbs. This is very exciting to me because we have 16 more weeks to go before our first-year anniversary date.

This is more than wonderful … and just think about how many pets we are feeding. Remember, one pound feeds a lot of little dogs … or one big one. We’re feeding thousands, big and small.

See you Sunday,

Peter