At Pets of the Homeless (POTH), our wonderful team of volunteers is made up of a broad range of people from all different backgrounds. With a variety of different skills to share, each of our volunteers contributes to POTH in their own special way.
Kara Smith has volunteered with POTH for almost two years. A talented wordsmith, editor and marketing consultant with a passion for animal advocacy, Kara has been instrumental in helping us to spread our message and grow our following of loyal supporters.
As a pet owner and someone who has struggled to find stable rental accommodation herself, Kara understands the pressures faced by people at risk of homelessness and how important it is to support those experiencing tough times.
To Kara, POTH is proof that people with kindness in their hearts and fire in their bellies are truly unstoppable.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Kara shares her experience of volunteering with POTH below.
When and why did you first decide to become a volunteer with POTH?
I first learned about POTH in 2016, when the organisation was a little over 6 months old. Back then, I was working part time, studying a post grad degree, and living in an older-style rental property that I knew my landlord was thinking of selling. A lot of similar houses in the neighbourhood had been demolished in favour of luxury townhouses and people in my income-bracket were being squeezed out. I was thinking a lot about this; about what would happen to me, my partner and our pets.
While I was researching an essay on housing instability for uni, I came across an interview with Yvonne Hong, founder of Pets of the Homeless, and was struck by her passion and drive. I joined the beautiful POTH Facebook community and soon saw that the organisation needed a content writer to help develop their new blog. I reached out and connected with Yvonne. It was a great fit – we work really well together and, almost two years on, I am still constantly inspired by her. One day I hope we’ll meet IRL!
What role do you play in helping POTH achieve positive outcomes?
As a content writer and blog editor with POTH, I communicate the organisation’s mission in a way that’s engaging for our audience of supporters, volunteers and donors. I love sharing happy outcomes from the people and pets that POTH has helped.
Since we rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters, storytelling is an integral part of showing our community the impact of your donations. It’s also a valuable way of raising awareness about homelessness and the role that companion animals play in supporting people who are facing disadvantage. In addition to our incredible social media community, I also engage with supporters through our monthly e-newsletters and blog posts.
My proudest POTH moment was when our blog was announced as a finalist in BUPA’s 2017 Blog of the Year Awards, leading to a host of development opportunities for the organisation!
What do you like most about volunteering with POTH?
The best thing about volunteering with POTH is seeing people open their hearts and minds to the idea that everyone deserves the love of a companion animal. There are a lot of misconceptions about people facing homelessness, the most pervasive of which is that if someone can’t look after themselves, they certainly can’t care for a pet.
As a POTH volunteer, I quickly learned that the people we support are much more likely to put their pets needs before their own. That’s why POTH aims to take the pressure off by providing food, veterinary care and other resources, so both people and pets can be safe, happy and healthy.
Helping the public to understand this reality and to show compassion for people facing homelessness with pets is my driving purpose and the best thing about working with POTH.
What have you learned from volunteering with POTH?
I have learned that there are not enough hours in the day! We are an ambitious organisation, having grown substantially since our founding less than three years ago. We have so much more we want to achieve and we have a great team to advance our vision for keeping best friends together. But as a volunteer-run organisation, at times we are stretched thin. Our people are our greatest resource – you drive everything we do. It would be great to see a fresh crop of volunteers with bold ideas and big hearts ready to help us conquer the world.
What advice would you give to others considering volunteering with POTH?
I’d advise you to think about your strengths – what you do best and what you do differently – and whether there’s a novel way you can offer your unique skill set to the cause. Prior to volunteering with POTH, I’d volunteered with a number of farm sanctuaries and animal rescues, generally doing odd jobs and manual labour. It was fun but it was rarely rewarding. I never felt like what I did had a big impact on the organisation’s success.
In my experience, skilled volunteering is a much more effective way to get involved. I happen to be handy with words so that’s what I contribute. If you’re better with finances, graphic design, case management, or chatting to people out in the community, POTH has a place for you!
Written by Kellie George
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