Waterville Elementary’s Giving Tree benefits local relief office and Humane Society of Northeast Iowa


Molly making friends… Molly, a collie/Australian shepherd mix dog, just loved meeting and being loved by all the children at Waterville Elementary last week when she visited to pick up the donations made by the children for the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa. Molly has only been with the society for a week after her owner went into an assisted living center and therefore needed help finding a new family to take care of her.

Children and cupboards… Blackie the cat checked out all the children and any open cupboards in the classroom when she visited Waterville Elementary students last week. Given to the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa, Blackie’s owners retired and wanted to travel. Blackie has been with the society for six months.

The Giving Tree… Created by the students at Waterville Elementary, their own version of The Giving Tree is surrounded by donations for the animals at the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa. "It’s not about the presents," said Julie Askelson, Waterville Elementary Principal, "but the relationship with others – people and animals," after reading the popular book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to the children.

by Sharon Sander-Palmer Freelance Writer

Last week the students of Waterville Elementary School had surprise visitors to their classrooms to thank them for a donation made from the heart. The visitors - Blackie the cat, and Molly, a collie/Australian shepherd mix dog. The reason - a donation of items collected by the children especially for the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa (HSNEI).

"This year instead of doing a gift exchange between children, grades two through five opted to donate items to either the Allamakee County Relief Office or the Humane Society," said Julie Askelson, Principal, Waterville Elementary. "In class the teachers have been talking about how important it is to think about others and how we can help those in need. Also, just about everyone here (at school) has a pet which is important in their lives, so by creating our own 'Giving Tree' and choosing these two charities, we were able to cover both pets and people."
The Giving Tree, a popular book by author Shel Silverstein, talks about kindness, compassion and respect for others, the latter being part of Allamakee Community School District’s mission. "It is a very fitting book which we were able to translate into something very practical and meaningful that each child could join in with," said Askelson. "We collected blankets, dog and cat treats, food, toys and leashes for the animals, and for the Relief Office, personal care items such as toothbrushes and paste, soap and shampoo, hats and mittens, socks and underwear. It’s been heartwarming and both agencies are delighted with the children’s donations."

Abby Flak, HSNEI Director, said that the donation from the school is "awesome", with the animals getting a lot of use from all the goodies.
Currently the center, a purpose-built facility which opened in 2014, is near to capacity in the cat department, with 20 cats needing adoption (maximum number of cats that can be cared for is 25) and 11 dogs needing adoption (maximum number of dogs that can be cared for is 24). Kittens that are surrendered to the center are cared for at foster homes.
Flak said that due to a special promotion held during the month of December, there has been a "big spike" in the number of adoptions over the past three weeks. "We are running this promotion until the end of the year where cats and dogs can be adopted for only $25," she said. "This covers the animal being spayed or neutered, plus brings all the animals’ shots up to date so they are healthy and ready to go to new homes."

The visiting animals were escorted to Waterville Elementary by Scott Iverson, Guidance Counsellor, Allamakee Community School District and also a HSNEI Volunteer. "I’ve always loved animals," he said, "and when the center opened I saw the need for volunteers, so I signed up. I volunteer two mornings a week, or about six hours." Iverson talked to the children about how to take care of animals, what kind of food they need, how they need exercise, kept clean, and how important it is they have a collar and tag so that if the pet goes missing, they can get back to their family.

Since the center opened, 700 people have been through the volunteer orientation program. The Center offers two orientations a month with the next one scheduled for January 2nd. Children are encouraged to participate in volunteering along with an adult, with those 14 years and older allowed to work with the dogs, and those under 14 with the cats. "We especially like the cats to be played with so they get used to being around children," says Flak.

All animals available for adoption can be visited at the HSNEI Love and Friendship Adoption Center located at 2345 Millennium Road, Decorah (near the airport) or viewed online at www.hsnei.org. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can register online or call the center at 563-382-0500.