Feb 28, 2018
Spreading Joy One Match at a Time.
Susan Rivenbark is Assistance Dogs of the West's (ADW) Volunteer Coordinator and her actions have an immense impact on all of the organization's activities. A Washington transplant, Susan moved to Santa Fe with her husband, Don after falling in love with the culture, weather, arts and all that is beautiful in Northern New Mexico.
For nonprofits like Assistance Dogs of the West, Susan’s contributions are immeasurable. She formalized volunteer operations by coordinating orientation programs where people can learn about the organization and her engaging manner and nurturing spirit have brought committed people to several areas of the agency.
"I love being able to share the ADW story with people interested in volunteering and adding new volunteers to our roster. It is delightful to see how much joy volunteers get out of the interaction with our tiniest puppies and our dogs."
There are Puppy Raisers who learn how to handle service dogs properly and take them into their homes over the weekend to give them further exposure and socialization. There are Puppy Snugglers, who help by monitoring the well-being of tiny pups at the Puppy Enrichment Center and taking care of Mamma dogs. And, there are volunteers who donate time to ADW fundraisers like the famous Wags and Chile festival each fall.
At each annual Graduation Ceremony, student trainers are honored for their community service and volunteers help with all the logistics at the theater during the event.
I attended my first ADW graduation in 2008 and was so impressed with the relationships developed between the trainers, the students, the dogs and the clients. It was clear that a great deal of heart went in to the nurturing, training and matching of the dogs with the clients. The professionalism and leadership skills displayed by the student trainers was very impressive and ADW helped them develop these skills.
The entire ADW crew would like to extend their gratitude to Susan for her invaluable dedication.
Susan, your presence in our lives has enriched each of us and your contribution to Assistance Dogs of the West is appreciated beyond what words can express. -Linda Milanesi, Executive Director
Posted by: