Sunday, March 18, 2012

Volunteers Needed -- No Volunteers Need Apply

It has been widely known that prospective volunteers have been discouraged from applying to the Bloomfield Animal Shelter since last July. As of Friday, all active volunteering has been suspended as well. Here are the highlights of a disturbing letter that was sent to many of the most active volunteers at the Shelter: Dear Volunteer,
The BLOOMFIELD ANIMAL SHELTER (John A. Bukowski Shelter for Animals) is about to undertake a positive reorganization. As you are well aware, our facility is being expanded and modernized. We have a new manager on staff and many promising fundraisers in the works. We plan to align with the best practices of our nation’s most respected animal welfare agencies, and we are strengthening our policies for staff and volunteer work procedures. The Board of Health is confident this reorganization will serve not only the disadvantaged animals that temporarily rely on our care, but also will bring a heightened sense of community service and cooperation within the shelter community. ...However, over the next several months, while administrative pieces of the reorganization are put into place, we are suspending volunteer services inside the animal shelter facility. In part, we are restructuring the volunteer program and you will be able to reapply for service once it is completed. If you wish to resume, you will be asked to participate in a volunteer orientation and training program, and you will be asked to sign off on new policies and procedures developed during the reorganization. We have chosen this particular time to reorganize because we are in the fortuitous position of having a lower number of animals currently housed, a highly unusual circumstance. We are confident our paid staff can manage the shelter on their own for a brief time using streamlined procedures for feeding, cleaning and exercising; pet adoptions, vet checks and home visits. ....An interim volunteer agreement will only be given to committee members who wish to continue serving during the reorganization. Signature on this agreement will be required to continue on a committee. .....The suspension of in-shelter volunteer services is effective immediately. The Health Department will announce resumption of volunteer service on the department website, and periodic updates will be posted.
The response from volunteers has been fast and furious -- primarily on various Facebook pages and, most recently, the Bloomfield Patch. Since it was published this morning,The Patch article has already generated a remarkable number of responses by both volunteers and the public:
This situation is very troubling. Whatever legitimate reason the Health Department may have had for their decision to suspend the volunteer program, their complete lack of transparency makes them look exceedingly shady....
I too would like to know why the shelter administrators decided to (1) ban a person from a publicly-funded building without any explanation and then (2) close down the volunteer program entirely, again without sufficient explanation for such a drastic move. Why end a program that was providing free labor and desperately needed care and socialization for shelter animals? The lack of transparency is indeed troubling and gives the distinct impression that the admin and the health department are attempting to cover something up....
Committee members who have been allowed to stay on as volunteers have been forced to sign a paper stating that they will NOT discuss the shelter on Facebook....
I offered my 25 years of grant writing PRO BONO to help the Shelter's budget and access funding (NOTHING happened after months of my pursuit and numerous emails with no follow through from the Health Department Management) and my awe of the dedication of volunteers, none of whom I would call "friends" ...but I can't believe their true dedication witnessed firsthand. I am so sad to hear any nonoprofit do this, as I have consulted with agengies that really need volunteers since 1990...social media used correctly can do so much for individuals and animals in need! As a resident of Bloomfield, I find this decision very painful mostly of course to those precious animals!!!...
An animal shelter restricting the help of volunteers?! What? This is very odd, and so sad for the animals, who are probably experiencing more anxiety with less frequent walks and human interaction. Sounds like Bloomfield is forgetting it is about the animals.....
Posts on the Shelter Fb page have had a tendency to disappear only to be reposted on the Save the Shelter Fb page. At this point, the Management seems to be shooting itself in the foot by censoring posts and threatening volunteers who share information. The official Shelter page currently has 265 "likes", while the Save the Shelter page has 5,833. Today's latest Save the Shelter post encourages volunteers and their supporters to share their concerns at Monday's council meeting:
ANIMALS HELD HOSTAGE - Day 3 If you want to make your feelings known, here is contact information. PLEASE: be polite and be factual in reporting what you have read here. Exaggerating or expanding on facts won't help the volunteers or the shelter animals we love. When contacting council members ask that your emails be read into the record at Monday night's meeting and send a copy to the township clerk Louise Palagano: Phone (973) 680-4015 FAX (973)680-0048 E-Mail: twpclerk@bloomfieldtwpnj.com PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL FOR COUNCIL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT Mike Fitzpatrick, Health Officer: 973-680-4026, 973-680-4024 and 973-680 4025 Karen Lore, Acting Director Health Dept: 973-680-4018 Mayor Raymond J. McCarthy Rosemary Brown, Secretary Email: rbrown@bloomfieldtwpnj.com Phone (973) 680-4080 FAX (973) 680-4040
COUNCIL MEMBERS (ALL): Phone: (973) 680-4077 FAX: (973) 680-4040

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