Our hospital has a long history of giving within our community as well as to causes on a national level. In 2017, we made contributions totaling $14,787 to a multitude of charitable organizations, both pet related and human in nature. In short, the culture within our hospital is a simple one…..to leave this world better than we found it. And we’re proud to say this is not a “trickle down movement” but instead is driven by our staff. Our philanthropic culture starts within the hearts of our team members, and permeates to every level of our hospital. Many of the causes we’ve chosen to get behind were brought to our attention by an individual team member that felt a call to action, and who in turn felt our hospital could make a difference. And the financial contributions we make are only a part of our story. Our team routinely joins together to donate their time to fundraising activities and helping those in need. We’re proud that our team takes our philanthropic culture to heart and never fails to “walk the walk” when the time comes to step up.
On January 30, 2018 we donated a special meal for 25 people to the Ronald McDonald House of Cedar Rapids. This time it was the staff that organized a donation of our time, volunteering to purchase and make dinner for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Our team planned and donated a home cooked dinner and desserts. Our team forfeited their lunch time to prepare the meal and later that night the staff served the dinner in conjunction with the Ronald McDonald House of Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Rapids AniMeals was created when Meals on Wheels volunteers noticed clients sharing their meals with their pets. In November of 2017 our hospital donated over 1200 pounds of cat and dog food. The staff donated to a pool of money and donated 300 pounds just themselves! This community involvement plays a vital role in keeping the pets in need of Cedar Rapids fed.
Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding in the Houston metropolitan area. Having suffered the Great Flood of 2008 here in Iowa, we knew the relief the Houston animals would require. Our staff once again felt compelled to pitch in and help. We posted signs throughout our hospital and made various social media posts about our efforts and inviting our clients to join us. Soon our lobby was filled with paper towels, laundry soap, kennels, cat litter and various cleaning supplies. Frey Pet Hospital donated $500; our employees went and purchased supplies. These supplies would help the Houston shelters so we partnered with Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. This organization is a local rescue agency that planned a week’s trip to the ravished flood area. With the help of our client’s generosity we were able to fill an entire U-Haul truck full of supplies.
In 2017, we offered free pictures with Santa in exchange for a donation to the Ronald McDonald House of Cedar Rapids. The Ronald McDonald House of Cedar Rapids asked for monetary donations as well as non-perishable food items, toiletries, kitchen items, and household items. Once again we were able to donate a truck load of items and extra monetary funds.
Pictures with Santa and your pet are a big deal nowadays! In the spirit of giving we offered this service to our clients free of charge in exchange for a donation. In 2016, we selected the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital as the beneficiary. The Children’s Hospital had a need for items such as new toys, DVD’s, crafts supplies, clothing, gift cards, and toiletry items. Due to our generous staff and clients we were able to donate a large amount of these items.
Mardi-Growl is a posh cocktail party with your dog that our employees look forward to every year. Frey Pet Hospital is proud to sponsor this event which benefits the cats and dogs of Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. We have sponsored this event for over four years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018! Our doctors and staff mingle with our clients while helping to raise awareness of the plight of homeless animals. We strongly believe in giving back to our community, while allowing our passion for animals to shine through.
Frey Pet Hospital is a proud participant in the Bark for Life noncompetitive walk for the American Cancer Society. We proudly sponsored the event in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Our Hospital Administrator served on the board in 2017. Our employees socialize with participants and their dogs, passing out bananas, Frisbee, and all sorts of fun goodies. We are able to see so many of our existing families and make some new friends as well. This walk raises funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society.
In 2016 we participated in local flood relief efforts. The Cedar River crested and flood waters reached 14-16 feet. In an effort to help our local Humane Society we collected donations: both supplies and monetary funds. We sold “Paws” for $5.00 each for two weeks and raised $1,750.00, which Frey Pet Hospital matched to total $3500.00 raised. These funds directly benefited the local displaced animals at the Cedar Valley Humane Society.
