Sometimes just meeting the basic necessities can be the greatest gift of all.

Along with a safe place to live, a reliable source of food is the most vital of needs. Unfortunately, too many in this country live with food insecurity, going day-to-day without knowing when – or if – their next meal will come.

In times of hardship, individuals step forward to lend a helping hand. No other small group of dedicated people is more devoted to helping their neighbors than Community Sharing. It’s our foundation’s great pleasure to assist them in achieving their goals.

Founded in 2004, Community Sharing is a non-profit outreach agency which provides food and support to hundreds of families, including their companion animals. As you may recall from our September 2011 post, while they do not interact directly with dogs and cats, they do work to prevent them from going hungry. Thanks to their deep sense of obligation to local residents and their pets, Community Sharing maintains a storehouse where they distribute much-needed meals and supplies.

In addition to the services they provide to help keep dogs and cats fed, healthy and happy, Community Sharing achieves a great deal on behalf of people, too. What began as a food pantry service has been expanded to include other services like providing clothing; assistance with evictions, utility shut-offs, and other emergencies; referrals to other agencies; legal advocacy; and tutoring for eligible residents. This compassionate group strives to assist people in need while simultaneously respecting their dignity and helping to promote their future self-reliance. Perhaps their true gifts are not the individual meals or the access to services, but what these things taken altogether represent … the possibility of families being able to stay together.

In its first operation of this kind, the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation shipped an entire pallet of Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food to a rescue organization. Not in the habit of doing anything halfsies, our foundation delivered 765 pounds of dry kibble for hungry dogs and cats to Community Sharing. With a distribution program already in place, they represented the ideal recipient for our first large-scale food donation. And we couldn’t be more pleased with the results!

With our gift, nearly two dozen dogs and cats enjoyed healthy, wholesome meals for a full eight weeks. Even during the two-month span, people who fed Life’s Abundance to their pets reported several noticeable health benefits. For example, one donor family has two dogs who are contending with numerous health issues – Roxy, a nine-year-old Labrador-Boxer mix, and Abby, a 12-year-old Labrador – conditions that are only worsened by lack of food. According to their pet parents, both canines showed increases in energy levels and shinier coats. One of the cats who received our premium health food – Moses, a 13-year-old with liver problems – also demonstrated increased vitality after only a couple of weeks on the new diet. And these are just a couple of stories relayed by those who benefited from our foundation’s first-ever food donation.

From all of us here at Life’s Abundance headquarters, we deeply appreciate and respect the extraordinary example set by this committed network of rescuers … there’s no better way to celebrate the season of giving than by lending a hand to a neighbor who’s struggling.

As you know from previous posts, the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting a variety of animal rescue groups. Since its inception, we have provided a total of more than $120,000 to exceptionally worthwhile, small-to-medium-size rescue organizations all across America.

Our foundation owes all of its triumphs to the continued patronage of our customers and individual donors. Every time a purchase is made at Life’s Abundance, a portion of the profits goes directly to funding the foundation. And more than 95% of your contributions directly aid the organizations that improve the lives of homeless, abused and neglected animals. Thanks to readers just like you, thousands of dogs and cats are now leading better lives … lives of abundance, you might say!

Check back next month for another dose of good news from the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation. And, happy holidays!