Column: Don't just shop here, give here

So much media attention is given to shopping this time of year, and area small business advocates have been encouraging folks to shop locally during the holiday season.

But don't stop there.

Keep your money local, too, by making charitable donations to rural Nevada-based nonprofits that are making the biggest difference in our communities.

There are a number of worthy organizations doing great things for folks right here in Carson City and surrounding areas: Friends In Service Helping (FISH), Advocates to End Domestic Violence, the Ron Wood Family Resource Center, the Northern Nevada Dream Center, the local chapter of the Salvation Army, The Greenhouse Project, several churches, and many more locally-organized groups of individuals, the space for which I just don't have to name them all.

There is one special non-profit, though, that fulfills a distinctively underserved need nationwide and is based right here in the Nevada state capital.

Pets of the Homeless, a 501(c)3 registered non-profit, is a unique animal welfare organization that focuses on meeting the nutritional and veterinary needs of pets of homeless individuals.

Since becoming a federally registered non-profit 10 years ago, over 600 tons of pet food has been collected at more than 400 donation sites around the country, according to petsofthehomeless.org.

Nearly 20,000 homeless pets have been given veterinary care in that time and more than $1 million has been given to meet the essential needs of this special population.

"Feeding Pets of the Homeless provides relief to homeless people and their pets in the form of food, resources, emergency care and support," the Pets of the Homeless web site states. "The bond between pets and people isn't dependent on having a roof."

Indeed.

Imagine the only possessions you have in the world are what you can wear and carry. Then imagine that the only friend you can count on to help you through a crisis wears a fur coat, walks on four legs, and asks for nothing in return.

All they want is your love.

This is the reality for thousands of homeless people throughout the United States. Often times, a pet is the only company they can really trust in a cold, lonely world full of social stigmas and harsh judgment.

A good friend of mine, Chef Don Pepe Paz, owner of Carpa Nevada, LLC, in Carson City, once told me the story of happening upon a homeless family living out of their car.

The chef told me that there was a little girl asleep in the car without a blanket. But laying over her was a loyal canine, whose body heat kept her from freezing.

It was about then that the chef realized the desperate circumstances facing many homeless people, who cannot afford the basic needs for their most trusted companions.

So, he partnered with Pets of the Homeless founder Genevieve Frederick and Downtown Coin owners Dan and Trish Wilson four years ago to organize an annual fundraiser that helps provide for the homeless and their pets during the holiday season.

The effort has raised hundreds of dollars each year for Pets of the Homeless, making a significant difference to folks whose pets they depend on for everything important in their lives.

Now through Jan. 31, 2019 your purchase of pure, fine olive oils and balsamic vinegar imported from Portugal helps to fund the mission of Pets of the Homeless.

Your money goes toward, among other necessities, emergency veterinary care that a homeless pet would otherwise not receive because their owner has no way to pay.

Not being able to save the life of your own pet because of inability to pay is difficult enough to have to go through.

But when your pet is all that you have in this world, their loss can be devastating and personally catastrophic.

I know there are panhandlers who use kids and pets as props to gain sympathy and ready cash from motorists. But don't let this behavior harden your heart toward those who are truly in dire straits.

We just never know when the dog or cat we see in a panhandler's arms may really be in need of help.

By giving to Pets of the Homeless, though, you ensure that your money goes to meet the needs of homeless pets and saves the life of someone's best friend.

A few years ago, Chef Don Pepe met a man in Iowa on a train headed back east. Without any prompting, the man told the chef his story, and how Pets of the Homeless helped him and his best friend in the world.

That spontaneous testimonial was all the proof the chef needed to be convinced of not only the worthiness of the cause, but also its effectiveness.

To participate in the local fourth annual Pets of the Homeless fundraiser, visit Downtown Coin at 111 W. Telegraph Street in downtown Carson City, open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

And in case you are wondering, I put my money where my mouth is. Mine was one of the first donations of the 2018 campaign.

The olive oils, the finest found anywhere in Europe and the world over at a reasonable price, are really the concession prize during this fundraiser.

The greatest value is in helping best friends without a home stay together.