From Lily:
To my friends and family –
I have chosen to support a trustworthy cause for my Mitzvah Project – one that is inspired by my profound love of dogs and my belief that they are more than just pets, but truly important members of our families.
My neighbor, Hal Horenberg, is on a quest to rescue as many dogs from high-kill shelters as he possibly can. Hal has been rescuing and fostering dogs since November 1, 2008, and I have been watching him from the start. I remember seeing him walking five dogs early on, and asking him about them. He said he was going to rescue 100 dogs. I remember thinking about how long that might take, how much work that would be, and if he was really of sound mind.
Hal started wearing a vest while walking his dogs, and he thought to add buttons with pictures of all of the dogs he saved. As the number of buttons on that vest grew, the more I became interested in what he doing. Now, four years later, Hal is up to 124 dogs rescued, and has formed Home At Last Sanctuary, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of all domestic animals.
I am inspired by Hal’s mission and I am now ready to help in this worthy cause. I am volunteering with Hal, not only raising funds, but also helping in his community outreach and educational programs. We have set up a landing page for me on his website (http://www.homeatlastsanctuary.org/lily.html) where I can solicit and track donations, and where I can share more information with you as dates and events are scheduled. Please visit this site and consider making a donation… A little goes a long way!
In closing, I would like to share with you a story that Hal likes to tell, and means a lot to me as well…
"The Starfish Story" (Original Story by Loren Eisley)
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die.”
“Son”, the man said, “don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said “I made a difference for that one.”
