It turns out that DCIN didn't have to scale back at all. The founder of DCIN was able to successfully hand off DCIN to a new team. Three years later, DCIN is helping more cats than ever before.
The team at DCIN is forever grateful to our supporters for their continued support as DCIN continues to serve its mission. -Jenna
June 5, 2014--
Sadly, Diabetic Cats has to significantly scale back its activities. As of today, DCIN will no longer:
- Accept or consider applications for its Financial Assistance Program (FAP) or its Shelter Program.
- Support the needs of most existing FAP or Shelter Program clients once our stock of insulin, testing equipment, and syringes is depleted.
- Coordinate or finance the transport of unwanted diabetic cats to new homes except on a very limited basis.
- Fundraise, except on a very limited basis.
- And try to place our three adoptable foster cats into permanent homes. (As of 7/16/14, DCIN only has one adoptable cat, Sunshine. The others have been adopted by their foster families.)
- Our two permanent/unadoptable foster cats. (As of 7/16/14, there is only one permanent foster cats because Jibbit died 7/12/14.)
- Adopted DCIN cats for which we made certain long-term commitments, until we can no longer afford to do so.
- The needs of our most dire existing FAP clients.
DCIN will continue its primary Facebook page to allow people to post diabetic cats needing rehoming and supplies available for donation. We will "freeze" our separate DCIN Shelter Program Facebook page and post the shelter courtesy posts on our main Facebook page.
I will keep DCIN's state-based non-profit registration and its IRS non-profit 501c3 designation active should a group of experienced people wish to step forward to resume full-scale DCIN operations. Or there may come a time, perhaps in a year, when I get things caught up enough that, with committed Team members, I can bring DCIN back to where it has been.
I will advise those who make monthly donations to DCIN through Paypal to consider canceling them. I hope that our friends will continue to support DCIN's Amazon Associate programs, which brings DCIN about $300/month and will allow us to help maintain minimal operations. If DCIN's available funds or continued donations are unable to finance its irrevocable operational costs, I will pay them personally.(As of 7/16/14, all sponsors have been contacted and only a few have cancelled their subscriptions.)
WHY, I am sure you are asking, is DCIN scaling back?? This is not a money thing. Our donors are extremely generous. It's a time and quality of life thing for me. DCIN has lost one managerial Team member and will soon lose another, and I am not capable of managing the workload their absences leave. DCIN's ongoing Team members have asked to take on more responsibility, but I have never had the time to develop an appropriate training process. Same thing with those who have recently volunteered to join the Team. Advising on the financial needs of a cat with diabetes takes feline diabetes experience. It also takes a knowledge of DCIN's processes and budget, and it is solely my fault that I have not been able to appropriately communicate the processes and budget to the DCIN Team.
I sincerely thank the current and past DCIN Team members for their tremendous efforts for DCIN's mission. I wish I could have had the process better organized so that their jobs would have been more clear and easy. Every single person that has volunteered with DCIN over the years has a heart of gold and I owe each and every one of them more thanks than I could ever express.
I also sincerely thank all those who have supported DCIN through the years in myriad ways, including donating money and supplies, fostering and adopting unwanted diabetic cats, sharing and commenting on our Facebook posts, or just praying or sending best wishes for our efforts. You and your knowledge of and care for the extra-sweet kitties will keep the movement alive.
Please remember. Feline diabetes is not a death sentence, and all cats that are diagnosed diabetic deserve appropriate care and loving caregivers, and many many of them will live long and happy lives, even if they do not go into remission, which most will with appropriate diet, insulin, and hometesting.
~Venita, Founder and Director, Diabetic Cats in Need
Venita@DCIN.info
5 comments:
Oh, Venita, I sincerely hope that a much-needed respite will allow you to re-group and revitalize. DCIN is one of my most favorite animal organizations. You and DCIN have done so much good for so many cats and people.
Wow. You and your organization do such a great job and service to the community. I am sorry to hear this. Me and my wife are involved with charitable efforts, one of which is a shelter here locally, and so completely understand your situation. I hope and pray that more people like you will develop the commitment (to go along with their desire to help animals in need) to take on these challenges as well as you have. Your organization is one of the very few online that I am willing to donate to only because of the outstanding effort, the professional manner in which it is run, and the fact that the money goes to help instead of overhead. God bless and hopefully you will be at a point where you can resume this effort (or those that work with you) as it is a much needed effort. Take care.
Venita,
I hope you get the rest you deserve during this time and hopefully the organization will thrive again in the future. Thanks for all you do.
I have often wondered how you manage to do so much for so long in this important mission. I hope you can "recharge your batteries" enough to enlist and train people who can keep DCIN going in the future. Thanks, Venita for all you have done.
Sadly, because of a physical injury, and my doctor wanting me on almost complete bed rest for at least the next month, this scale back will continue for at least a few more months.
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