Volunteer of the Month 2023

December 2023 – Nathan Vertuca

Nathan Vertuca joined NHA as a volunteer in May of this year and has contributed greatly since then to the Low-Cost Vaccine and Microchip Clinic volunteer base. Nathan started as a member of the Dog Care Team and has helped at several of NHA’s major fundraisers, including Mutt Strutt, Unleashed, and Dog Day, along with other smaller events like Nuns ‘n’ Moses. Nathan’s biggest contribution, however, has been as a repeat volunteer to the Low-Cost Vaccine and Microchip Clinics. Nathan worked our June, July, and August clinics, as well as our most recent one in November and is slated to join us in Donelson in December. Nathan’s multilingual skills have been especially appreciated at these events, helping us better serve our Spanish-speaking neighbors who come with their pets, making sure they feel welcomed and their cats and dogs well taken care of. In addition to all this, Nathan is known as a caring and considerate volunteer who looks out for others. One volunteer remembers him buying coffee for everyone at a Vaccine Clinic. No matter what he’s doing, Nathan is making a great impact on the NHA mission. Kudos, Nathan!

November 2023 – Jeanette DeMain

Jeanette DeMain has been an NHA volunteer since April and, since then, has become a regular in the Cat Showroom. After a 30+ year career, Jeanette decided to use some of her time in retirement to the benefit of resident cats at NHA. After completing her Shadow Day in April, Jeanette has spent more than 10 hours, and sometimes as many as 20, here at NHA each month, for a total of nearly 100 hours over six months. More recently, Jeanette completed her online Fear Free Shelter Certification and moved up to Yellow level in late August. In the next month, Jeanette will take her final step to become a Blue-level volunteer and was nominated by Lead Volunteers to begin helping with new volunteer training for Cat Care Team Members. In the Cat Showroom, Jeanette can be found cleaning and socializing the cats, but she’s also volunteered at events like Unleashed. Jeanette embodies the volunteer spirit here at NHA, and we are most thankful for her presence. Kudos, Jeanette!!

October 2023 – Rebecca Bakanowski

Rebecca is a familiar face to many at NHA, in part because of her consistent presence at the front desk. Rebecca has been a volunteer at NHA since 2019, with 585 hours logged in that time. In the four years she has been volunteering, Rebecca has helped countless adopters through the process to find and finalize adoptions of their new fur-babies. This work requires knowledge of NHA adoption policies, procedures for visitation, familiarity with communication systems, and the ability to connect with members of the public who may not know much about our facility. Rebecca has consistently handled all of this with ease, filling gaps and even supporting new staff as they come in. We are especially appreciative of Rebecca for stepping into this high-visibility role and handling it with such grace. Thank you, Rebecca!

September 2023 – Debi and Phil Schmidt

There are not enough words to describe the impact Debi and Phil have had on NHA, and as a result, our community. They have shown up for us in thick and thin and back again. Quite simply put, NHA is what it is today because of people like you, Debi and Phil! They can both be found at the shelter several days a week walking dogs. Debi is the biggest champion of our weekly Food Bank, leads and makes it happen, while Phil may have bagged more dog and cat food than anyone around! All around town, they can be seen at countless events ranging from vaccine clinics to puppy parties and everything in between. They have stepped up and transported animals in need to the shelter. Surpassing six years and thousands of hours of volunteering with NHA, Debi and Phil are the dynamic duo of NHA. You have forever changed this shelter through your dedication and, no doubt, saved an incredible number of animals’ lives in the process. Thank you for sticking with us. Thank you for putting words and thoughts into action. Thank you, Debi and Phil, for making a difference!

August 2023 – Abby Hanson

Abby is an all-around, super-charged rockstar at NHA! She is an absolute one-in-a-million treasure who can be found quite often at the front desk in the lobby doing anything and everything, including helping the traffic flow, scanning microchips, taking photos of puppies and kittens, and guiding pups back to their kennels after visitations. You may recognize Abby as the Lead from your Dog Care Shadow Day! She generously leads shadow days several times a month. In Pet Admissions, Abby is invaluable in assisting and welcoming new arrivals into the shelter, reassuring and guiding often nervous cats and dogs through intake. Abby goes above and beyond and even fosters on top of the many things she does around the shelter. Since 2021, Abby has logged more than 700 volunteer hours! She absolutely does it all at NHA, including recently adopting Marjorie (fka Alana) into her home! Everyone at NHA is so happy and excited to have an alumnus in such a wonderful home with our own superstar! Abby, we adore you and are forever grateful for all you do. Thank you for making NHA a better place!

July 2023 – Patrick Winchester

Patrick has been volunteering at NHA since September of 2022 and has rocketed past an amazing 100 volunteer hours! Chances are that you’ve seen Patrick at any number of NHA events around town – he’s everywhere and doing everything! From Puppy Parties to Mutt Strutt to Nashville Pride, he has been extremely giving of his time and talents, and we are grateful. Patrick has become a Lead Volunteer for events, often going above and beyond to ensure smooth set ups and take downs and the best care for our animals. Patrick’s outgoing and cheerful personality is infectious and oh so appreciated. When he’s not at an event, he can be found many early mornings walking dogs at the shelter where he has excelled to a Blue Level Dog Care team member. NHA is a better place because of you, Patrick. We have lucked out with your generous heart. Thank you!

June 2023- Liz Self

Liz has been volunteering at NHA since August of 2022 and has racked up an astounding 180 volunteer hours! Liz does everything and we do mean everything! She volunteers at events, is on the dog care team, fosters, assists with transports and helps with anything and everything in between! She gives such a generous gift of her time talents and always says yes with a smile. Liz recently did the Mutt Strutt packet pickup day while fostering puppies at home and brought those puppies to the Puppies and Pints event the next day! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as you’ve probably seen her son, Oliver, volunteering alongside her. It is certainly a family affair as the Self’s open up their home to fostering and making it work while having a reactive of a dog of their own. Liz writes the most beautiful bios on every animal she fosters, which are shared with potential adopters and have no doubt been the kickstarter in the adoption process! Thank you, Liz! You are amazing and NHA and our community are a better place because of you!

May 2023- Gabriela Savage

Gabriela has been volunteering at NHA since the beginning of this year and has already accumulated over 140 volunteer hours! She is awesome and truly inspiring! In a record-setting amount of time, Gabriela has pretty much done everything possible at the shelter, and we are forever indebted. From translating documents, assisting at our vaccine clinics, working events, working Food Bank, and assisting the Vet Services Team – there’s nothing she can’t do! Her upbeat personality and smile make everything brighter. However, you’ll probably remember her most for bedazzled Crocs. Gabriela used to be in the Marine Corps, and we are so thankful for her service and that she chose NHA to volunteer with. She’s currently working on starting school for a Vet Assistant program. We wish her SO MUCH luck with this. We know she’s going to do an awesome job! Gabriela is always willing to jump in wherever she is needed. Whenever asked to help, she answers with a resounding yes! She is such a kind soul, and we are so thankful for people like her here at NHA. Gabriela, we are so amazed by you, and you are so appreciated by everyone here at NHA! We will be so sad when you have to go away for school, but just know that we are cheering you on!

April 2023- Janice Lane

Janice has been volunteering at NHA since February 2020 and has accumulated over 675 volunteer hours! (WOW!) She has stepped up in so many ways in the past few years. Janice was recently promoted to a Lead Volunteer on the Cat Care Team and has been super helpful in running several of our shadow days! Many of you might have already had some training with her. Janice has also been a big help with cleaning the cat room in the mornings. Animal Care appreciates all of her help. As does the entire NHA staff. Janice is such a kind, caring, and amazing human being. We have been so lucky to have her as an NHA volunteer! Janice, we are so, so thankful for you – we can’t thank you enough for all you do for NHA.

Thank you, Janice, for always asking if there was anything that could be helped with during the interim time of Volunteer Coordinators. It does not go unnoticed, and it is truly appreciated. You are such a wonderful advocate for the animals here at NHA, and we are so lucky to have you on our team. Janice, we are so thankful for you and all that you do! We are grateful to have you as a volunteer.