Medfield Resident Helping Families in Need with Project

Medfield resident Brianna Cusanno is currently a Girl Scout in the process of earning her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve and has focused her project on helping families and their pets in need by raising donations and awareness for the Metrowest Pet Pantry.

“I knew I wanted to do something that would help both families and animals in need," Cusanno said. "Because of the recession, many families are dealing with economic struggle. I realized that people facing financial difficulties will have to choose between feeding themselves or a beloved pet, and might even have to give up a pet to a shelter."

Giving up a pet that provides so much comfort can be a crippling blow for families already suffering under the burden of financial trouble. In Cusanno’s research for her Gold award she discovered that the Humane Society estimates that between three and four million cats and dogs are euthanized each year, due to over crowded shelters. After learning about the effects of the recession as well as investigating how the economic climate has affected animal care, she became determined to help.

 Her research led her to the Metrowest Pet Pantry and Cusanno realized the shelter will not be able to accommodate all the requests that continue to come in until the shelter has a strong volunteer base to help with fundraising and donations.

 The Metrowest Pet Pantry’s mission is to keep pets together with their families by providing food and supplies for families in need. Founder, Shelley Goes, a volunteer for local animal rescue organizations for over 10 years, decided to open a pet food pantry after realizing just how many families have to give up their beloved pet because they can’t afford them.

“I thought that even if I could help a few people, it'd be worth it,” explains Goes. After nearly five years of considering opening her own pet food pantry, the Metrowest Pet Pantry opened its doors in September 2010, and has so far served more than 30 families. Goes receives inquiries about the pet pantry almost every day. 

Cusanno’s goal is to create awareness about the Metrowest Pet Pantry, and set up a system of donation bins and most importantly to provide the pet pantry with a strong volunteer base.

“I put up my first donation bin at in Medfield, and so far the response to my project has been overwhelming,” said Cusanno.

Every week the bin has been filled with donations, and one family volunteered to build and decorated the donation bin. Cusanno plans to have two to three more boxes set up before the end of August. 

The pet pantry also needs volunteers who can drive supplies from collection locations to the distribution center, located in Millis on the first and third Sundays of every month. The pantry also needs volunteers to sign up for an e-mail newsletter, which will announce various volunteer opportunities and odd jobs that need doing.

The following quote is an e-mail from a grateful pet owner who contacted Cusanno after seeing a donation bin:

“Two and a half years ago, I lost my job and became desperate, yet too ashamed to ask for help. Before I eventually went on food stamps (which does not cover pet food), the dogs, cat and I were eating cooked plain spaghetti twice a day for quite some time. I didn't know a place like yours existed. Well, I finally found work, am off food stamps and we are all eating much better. Now that I know what it's like, I will help whenever I can” - a grateful pet owner. 

To learn more of the pet pantry  visit its website at  www.metrowestpetpantry.org or if you are interested in volunteering, e-mail metrowestpantryvolunteer@yahoo.com. Tax-deductible donations can be made payable to Metrowest Pet Pantry and mailed to P.O. Box 6, Millis MA, 02054.

 The shelter has appreciated all the support Medfield has provided so far and said it knows it can continue to expect donations and volunteers from such a "generous community."