Model Volunteering Program: Virginia Beach SPCA Foster-Lite for Community Service

The Challenge

#1: “Most of the public was unaware that unweaned kittens were not accepted by other shelters and that they were routinely euthanized,” says Sharon Adams, Executive Director for the Virginia Beach SPCA. “Our agency tries to provide foster care for them until they are ready for adoption. But we received 271 kittens from May through August—kittens that needed a few extra weeks of care and socializing before being ready for adoption. We needed more foster volunteers to save these lives.”

#2: “Students of all ages were asking to volunteer at the Virginia Beach SPCA to get their community service hours for school,” says Stacy Smith, volunteer and Foster-Lite Coordinator for Community Service. “But you have to be 13 years and older to volunteer. So we looked for opportunities to help students fulfill their community hours that didn’t involve them coming to the shelter.”

The Solution

Two unlikely problems melded into one wonderful solution for the Virginia Beach SPCA. Instead of relying on the most experienced foster volunteers to take in unweaned kittens ages five to eight weeks old, Smith worked with local schools to recruit students and their families to foster these kittens until they were old enough for adoption. Every student in the home could earn community service hours. And families would learn about the joys of fostering with what Smith refers to as “a first, easy foster experience.” Students in the school also help promote the program and recruit other students. Foster families take a foster care orientation program and receive home inspections prior to receiving kittens for their one to four week commitment. Experienced foster volunteers serve as the liaison between the animal shelter, school and families, answering questions and guiding them through the process.

The Results?

• Saves time. By allowing experienced foster volunteers to serve as a pointof- contact for families and schools, the shelter receives fewer day-to-day calls with questions about foster care.
• Builds the foster care program. Families may only commit for a few weeks, but the shelter expects their experiences to inspire other families to get involved as well as develop future potential foster volunteers.
• Increases potential adoptions. When kittens are out in the community, foster families share their experiences with friends, which helps promote the program, entice more potential foster families, and increases adoption overall.
• Increases potential fosters. We want people to think, “My friend fostered a litter of kittens. Our family can do that too,” says Adams. Families decide to foster because they know other families that have fostered and had positive experiences.
• Empowers experienced foster volunteers. By serving as a community liaison between schools, families, and the animal shelter, experienced foster volunteers get to share their skills and knowledge with the community.