AFTER #GIVINGTUESDAY: HOW YOUR SUPPORT IMPACTS WARRIORS
We are overwhelmed with gratitude and thrilled to announce that with your help, Paws for Purple Hearts raised $19,920 on Giving Tuesday 2020.
Despite 2020 being a challenging year for everyone, our supporters reminded us all that they are still present. This year’s grand total more than doubled the contributions made on Giving Tuesday in 2019, and we are so grateful!
If you are unfamiliar with Giving Tuesday, it is a one-day global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
Our Giving Tuesday Goal
This year, we set out on a mission to raise $15,000 to support our service dog training and therapy programs for America’s injured Warriors, and the support we received far exceeded our hopes.
Throughout the day, each of our five training centers took to Facebook Live, where they introduced their staff and dogs, hosted virtual tours of their facilities, and even had a few guest speakers. One of those speakers, Cris, a recreation therapist in San Antonio, shared her thoughts about our Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® program.
“Kind of like recreation therapy, people don’t always feel like they’re doing therapy, but they really are. And I think this is the same situation,” she says. “They [Warriors] don’t realize how much benefit they’re getting from just being in the presence of the animals.”
PPH Menlo Park found news ways to serve Veterans during this pandemic
We Did It!
By late afternoon, we had surpassed our initial goal of $15,000 and set a new goal of $17,500, which would cover the cost of training for one service dog for an entire year. To our amazement, we once again surpassed our goal and nearly reached $20,000 by the end of the day!
The generous contributions made during Giving Tuesday will help to continue providing our service dogs and therapy programs completely free to deserving Warriors.
So, how can we make an impact with $19,920? Here are a few ways to put the significance of this funding into perspective:
Training
One Year of Training for a Future Service Dog, like Chapman
It costs nearly $35,000 to train a service dog from puppy to placement during his two-plus years with PPH. That means that funds raised this Giving Tuesday alone can cover all of the expenses for a pup like Chapman, our youngest service dog-in-training, for an entire year! That includes all of his food, treats, toys, veterinary care, field trips, trainer labor, and training equipment.
Paws for Purple Hearts has deployed 128 dogs through our training and therapy programs.
Therapy
199 Hours of Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy®
On average, behavioral therapy costs at least $100 per hour. Given that fact, your Giving Tuesday gifts could cover about 200 hours of participation in our unique Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® sessions. During this hour-long session, a Warrior will get first-hand experience working with, handling, caring for and training a service dog as a part of his or her mental health treatment plan. Veterans and service members who participate in this program have reported improved mood, increased sociability, and even improved sleep!
To date, Paws for Purple Hearts has filled 15,865 therapy session participation slots.
Learn more about our exceptional dogs
We Couldn’t Have Done it Without You!
From the entire Paws for Purple Hearts team, thank you! This life-changing work would not be possible without your support. To date, Paws for Purple Hearts has improved the lives of more than 10,000 Warriors and their families. This funding will help that number grow and provide a better quality of life for those facing trauma or mobility challenges.
You Can Still Make an Impact!
Didn’t have the chance to donate on Giving Tuesday this year? Don’t worry! You can still make a difference in the lives of our Warriors today by donating online or texting PURPLEPAWS to 707070.
