It wouldn’t be a proper ten year anniversary celebration without mentioning a very special partner organization, Citymeals on Wheels! There are no words to properly express our gratitude to this incredible organization that works tirelessly to provide meals for NYC’s homebound elderly population.

When PAWS NY was first getting our start, we reached out to Citymeals to introduce our program to them. At the time, PAWS NY was really just an idea, but we were hoping that Citymeals might be able to refer a few potential clients to us so that we could begin helping people. When our founder, Rachel Herman, met with them, she was struck by their genuine excitement about our organization.

Citymeals jumped right in, not only connecting us with several potential partner agencies that would be able to refer clients, but also offering their office space for volunteer orientation sessions. Over the last ten years, we have hosted 81 sessions in their midtown office and trained 1,161 of our volunteers! Not only that, but Citymeals even refers volunteers to us!

We are so lucky to partner with such a kind and generous organization that cares so much about improving the quality of life for New Yorkers. A HUGE thank you to the amazing Citymeals and all of the dedicated staff members we have worked with over the years. There is no way we would have reached ten years without their partnership!

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Happy Birthday PAWS NY! Today marks TEN years of helping people and pets in need and we are so excited to celebrate with many of you this evening at our 10th Anniversary Party.

Today’s feature is PAWS NY’s Founder and Executive Director, Rachel Herman. Rachel first had the idea for PAWS NY in 2008 after walking by a young homeless couple and their dog outside of her local grocery store. As an animal lover, she felt great empathy for this family and began to ask herself the questions that would lead to PAWS NY’s founding: “Are there other people in New York City that have pets but struggle to provide adequate care for them? How can I provide more meaningful assistance?” After some research, she recognized that there was a huge need and no organization in New York City to provide for that need. Ultimately, with a Board, our 501(c)(3) certification, and our first group of volunteers, PAWS NY was born. More than a year later, on November 11th, 2009, our first volunteer visited our first client. Since that time, PAWS NY has helped over 900 people and 1,300 animals remain together as a family by providing over 75,000 visits to people in need.

“I truly can’t believe it’s been ten years. As I reflect on the past decade, I think about all the people who have helped along the way. To say I am in awe of our incredible network of volunteers, friends, and supporters would be an understatement. Ten years ago I never could have imagined just how many kind, generous, and dedicated people I would meet throughout this journey. PAWS NY started out as an idea, and because of our incredible community of New Yorkers, our organization not only exists, it’s thriving. I wake up each day so proud of the work we do to help New Yorkers and their pets, and I feel lucky that I get to dedicate my life to something so meaningful. Thank you to every person who has believed in us. I am forever grateful to you for helping to bring our services to people and pets in need.”

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Carrie Nydick Finch is PAWS NY’s Program Director and was also the first employee we hired in 2013. Carrie first learned about PAWS NY when she came across the open job posting on Idealist.

“I had been an animal lover and advocate since I was a child. While working as a Clinical Social Worker, I completed a certificate in Animal-Assisted Activities and began looking for a job that would marry my social work training with my passion for animal welfare. It seemed like the perfect fit.”

For several years, it was just Carrie and PAWS NY’s Founder & Executive Director, Rachel, sharing a small office while building partnerships that have been critical to our success, growing our client and volunteer base, and implementing the strategic programs and services that we provide for clients and pets to this day.

When asked how she feels to be celebrating PAWS NY’s 10th Anniversary, Carrie says “It’s exciting! I can’t believe I’ve been with PAWS for 6 1/2 years at this point, and it’s extraordinary to see how far we’ve come.”

We are so incredibly lucky to have Carrie on our team and would not be where we are without her hard work and dedication. Thank you, Carrie!

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In honor of our upcoming 10th Anniversary, we are continuing to highlight some of the amazing people who helped us get our start. This week, we’re featuring PAWS NY volunteer, Sarah Stevens. Sarah attended our very first orientation in 2009 and is still a volunteer with us to this day, making her our Longest Running Volunteer! Sarah has volunteered with several PAWS clients throughout the years and formed incredibly close friendships with each of them. She started volunteering as a way to give back, but found that through these new friendships, she gained just as much.
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“PAWS NY entered my life during a time of great difficulty and through service to my fellow NYers, I found an incredible community and an open heart. PAWS NY changed my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work they do.”
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One of her former clients, pictured here, is our late client Arnold and his pup Jade, whom Sarah visited every week for several years and helped to ensure that they could remain together as a family until Arnold’s passing. Since that time, Sarah, who is a graphic designer by trade, has volunteered to help PAWS NY with many design projects and campaigns, including our 10th Anniversary! ?
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We are so grateful to Sarah and all of our amazing volunteers. Without them, we would simply not exist! Thank you Sarah for everything you have done and continue to do on behalf of PAWS NY!
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In today’s 10th Anniversary Feature, we’re highlighting a generous supporter that made so much possible: PAWS NY’s first institutional funder, Amie’s Place Foundation!

We owe so much to this wonderful organization. In 2011, our founder, Rachel Herman, presented PAWS NY services at an event hosted by partner organization Search and Care. After hearing about our program, a representative from Amie’s Place Foundation who had been invited to attend the event by Search and Care, a grantee of Amie’s Place Foundation, approached Rachel to learn more about her vision for PAWS NY.

At the time, our organization only had a small handful of clients and volunteers, and Rachel was running the organization in her spare time. After an exciting first meeting, Amie’s Place Foundation decided that it also believed in our vision and wanted to play a part in making it a reality; they generously provided a pivotal grant totaling $150,000 over two years and went on to provide a total of $350,000 over the course of five years.

Their support allowed Rachel to make the leap and dedicate her full-time to the organization. This was instrumental, and there is no way we would be where we are today without the trust, partnership, and support of Amie’s Place Foundation. We are forever grateful!

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