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24 | OHCC LIVING | JANUARY 2022 | It's not often that people think of an Annual Board Meeting as "being fun", but at the November Pet Lovers Club, it was. Just as the meeting was about to start, a tearful Tom Crispo came forward to present Pet Lovers Club President Ellen Kippel with a bouquet of magnificent long-stemmed yellow roses. Tom's wife Sandy Kramer had passed away, and he wanted to thank Ellen for all the support she had given them and the animals in our community. The main focus of the meeting was to elicit support for the charitable organizations suggested by the Pet Lovers Board for our annual holiday donations. One big difference was the addition of our "Presents for Pets" idea. We wanted to help pet-loving homebound seniors not as fortunate as ourselves. The Meals on Wheels Program in San Marcos includes "AniMeals" food supplied by The Helen Woodward Animal Shelter for the MOW clients. The food is selected and packaged to suit each pet and delivered with human meals. We decided this year to provide presents for these pets and were helped by two people studying for their Master's in Social Work and interning ant the Meals on Wheels site. They asked the clients in the five cities around this area for a "wish list" of what they'd like for their pets. Some of the PLC members arrived at the meeting with gift bags even before we had the wish list. Ellen sent out notice's community-wide in OHCC about what was requested. The response was wonderful. We were able to provide gift bags of cat and dog toys, canned and dry food, treats, a cat tree, and a nail trim and brushing for two kitties. It was such a warm feeling when we filled the bags and imagined the happiness they would bring. In early December, the two interns came to Ellen's house to collect the gift bags piled on her golf cart. The extra gifts will be given out to clients on their birthdays or other occasions. The Meals on Wheels Director was very enthusiastic and said no one had ever done anything like this. We had a very short time to put this together but had such a wonderful response that we plan to do it again next year, with more lead time and for more clients. The OHCC Pet Lovers Club is open to all residents that either have or love any and all pets. If you are not a member, we hope you will join us at the Pet Lovers Club table for Do Dues Day, Jan. 8 to find out more details about the club. Dues are $6 per person or $10 per family. Pet Lovers Club Grandma's Closet is Back Hello neighbors. Well, the holidays are upon us. If you have visiting grandchildren, then check out Grandma's Closet. How does it work? I keep a list of people who have items to loan, their addresses and contact info, along with the items they wish to share. When someone inquires about borrowing an item or two, I'll supply the list, and the donor and recipient can work out the details. What do I need from you? If you have items you wish to loan out (strollers, car seats, carriers, Pack 'n Play, highchair, books, toys, etc.), send me an email (naomibkatz@icloud. com) enumerating those items, along with your name, address, phone numbers and email address. I will add you and your items to the list. If you find yourself in need of some items, please send me an email (naomibkatz@icloud. com) and I will forward the list to you. Finally, if you would be kind enough to volunteer to back me up, I'd appreciate it. Again, all you need to do is email me (naomibkatz@ icloud.com). Thank you so much for your attention and anticipated assistance. ~ Naomi B Katz L to R: Intern Ambar Burt, President Ellen Kippel, Intern Edward Rodrigues, Pet Lovers Club Secretary Karen Hastings