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Volunteering with the Maui Humane Society Aloha and Welcome to the on-line home of the Maui Humane Society’s Volunteer Program! One thing is for sure: We love our volunteers! At the MHS, our volunteers are very important to us! Their dedication to our agency and all of our orphaned pets is AMAZING! We would not have the ability to do the work we do without their help! They are wonderful people, all with their own stories and reasons for coming to the Maui Humane Society. They make up an incredibly talented group of individuals, all of whom we are happy to call “family”. If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, Mahalo for stopping by! We are always looking for new recruits and would love to have you! There are many opportunities to help the Maui Humane Society, both at the shelter and out in the community! Please click here to read more about Volunteer Opportunities and the Volunteer Application Process. For Community Service, School Group Volunteering, Internships or Special Projects – Click here for an application. If you are a current volunteer, Welcome Back! Volunteer Spotlight John Murphy Occupation: Retired/Propane Business Owner, Indiana How long volunteering at MHS? 8 years A “John Favorite”: Brownie Delight from Zippy’s Meet John Murphy, retired propane business owner and dedicated MHS volunteer. John is a “snow bird” resident of Maui and flies back to Indiana every summer for a few months. What started as “looking for something to do”, John’s contribution has turned into much more. He has been helping at the Maui Humane Society for nearly 8 years and is an integral member of the Facilities/Maintenance crew. During the months John is on Maui, he puts in as many (if not more) hours than our full-time staff. Over the course of one month ( Dec 2008), John racked up an amazing 172 hours of volunteer time! Always willing to lend a hand, John has many talents and is referred to by some as a “jack of all trades”. From electrical work and yard maintenance to installing a commercial washer and pouring cement, John is there every step of the way. He says he learns something new every day. When asked about his favorite part of volunteering, John says he loves the feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day and is proud knowing his hard work is helping the animals and staff at MHS. If John sees a need, he’ll be one of the first to step in, no matter if it involves work on the shelter grounds or as a foster parent. John took home a mother cat and her kittens that needed some special attention and care before being old enough for adoption. He is also a very generous man. Take for example, the most recent addition to the MHS facility workshop, a power trowel John purchased and had shipped to Maui from Kauai, then donated to MHS just to make building new exercise yards a little easier. Wherever the need, John Murphy is willing to help. “John is one of the best guys I’ve ever met,” remarks fellow facilities team member, Alex Maldonado. “He loves to have fun and we laugh all day long.” John’s sense of humor and compassion has helped many get through some tough times at the shelter. “There are a lot of good people working here, all dedicated to helping animals,” he says. “They have to deal with all sorts of (situations on a daily basis).” John definitely knows how to ‘lighten the mood’ and staff at MHS are glad he’s a part of the family. What are John’s hopes for the future of MHS? A new shelter! The current MHS facility is busting at the seams. John and the facilities team would be the first to know, since they are the ones that get to patch it back together. “We need more space to be able to hold more animals and make working here easier for the staff. It’s a shame the number of animals that come through the shelter every year.” We hope to expand the shelter in the future as well and hope John will still be volunteering at MHS to share in that accomplishment! Mahalo nui loa to JOHN MURPHY for his continuous dedication to our orphaned animals and helping make the Maui Humane Society a great place to be! "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." ~ Winston Churchill