Most consider the holidays to be the season of giving, but two Taylor organizations serving those in need say help is needed year-round.
Officials with Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry and the Taylor Animal Shelter are asking that their clients — both the two-legged and four-legged — be remembered not only at Christmas but during the warmer months, too.
“(Our needs are) every month, it’s an ongoing thing, it’s not just at the holiday season,” said Loretta Masters, executive director of Shepherd’s Heart, 121 E. Second St.
The challenges have been mounting, Masters said. In the last few months, a broken water main flooded the building and the industrial freezer malfunctioned, leading to additional costs “A compressor went out on the freezer,” she added. “I had 24 hours to replace that and get it up and running at 10 degrees or we were going to lose a whole 20-foot freezer full of meat.”
The money to repair the freezer came out of Shepherd’s Heart general operational fund and the meat was saved.
Inflation has affected charities as well, she said.
Shepherd’s Heart has seen an increase in people needing assistance, but the nonprofit is also struggling with rising costs for utilities and food.
Meanwhile, the Taylor Animal Shelter is experiencing similar issues as it strives to aid local strays. At last check, the shelter housed 15 dogs and many more cats in its new facility, 701 E. Fourth St.
Sandy Perio, animal control supervisor, said the shelter is always in need of wet and dry food for both cats and dogs. Many in the community have donated collars, leashes, blankets and towels.
“We have plenty of those, but we now are in need of flea and tick medications and potty pads,” Perio said.
The shelter could also use donations of cat litter and small plastic swimming pools.
“We always need lots of pools,” she said. “The dogs really go through them in the summer.”
The dogs often get excited playing in the swimming pools as the mercury climbs and break them accidentally, officials said.
The swimming pools are also used as makeshift litter boxes for felines.
To volunteer, donate or otherwise help, visit shepherdshearttaylor. org/ or taylortx. gov/603/Adopt-a-Pet, or follow the animal shelter at facebook.com/ taylordogsandcats/.
