Animal Services Volunteers Part of Those Recognized
Volunteers from various county agencies received recognition this morning by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
Four volunteers with Riverside County Animal Services were among the honorees. Each honoree had been recognized as the volunteer of the year at their respective home-base shelter.
Mary Anderson, volunteer of the year at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley, received recognition at the Board of Supervisors for her dedicated work. Ms. Anderson has racked up more than 3,000 hours’ worth of volunteerism in her nine-year tenure with the department. She started helping the shelter pets and visitors in May 2009.
Ms. Anderson takes pleasure in volunteering in the main lobby, greeting customers and directing them to where they need to go. “Mary’s constant smile at the lobby kiosk provides us great relationships with our patrons,” said Candace McGrew, a program manager who oversees the volunteer services division.
Ms. Anderson has also found resources for other projects at the shelter, such as the shelter’s agility yard that got a much needed overhaul, courtesy of two Eagle Scout projects.
Delores Anderson (no relation to Mary), of Palm Desert, received recognition as the volunteer of the year at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms. She worked as a registered nurse and, upon her retirement, started volunteering at the shelter in January 2015. She recorded 163 volunteer hours last year and has already donated more than 400 total hours of volunteer work. Ms. Anderson enjoys volunteering at events and assisting with the pet photography sessions.
Donna and Kristina Chavez, a mother-daughter duo from Menifee, were both honored as volunteers of the year at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus in San Jacinto.
Donna Chavez is an equine enthusiast who also enjoys photography and art. Ms. Chavez supervises the photography team of volunteers at the San Jacinto facility and takes the initiative to teach others how to bring out the best in animals during their photo shoots.
Kristina Chavez, a 2017 graduate of California Baptist University, is equally passionate about animals. She received degrees in biology and pre-med and her volunteerism with Riverside County is providing her great, animal-handling experience as she works toward a goal of one day becoming a veterinarian.
