In the fall of 2020, COVID-19 is tightening its grip, and nearly everyone is feeling the effects. As I ran a red light in my car with my two loyal rescue dogs, Henry and Rosita, I glanced to the right to spot the usually long line of cars around the local pantry. I’ve never seen so many cars waiting for food, which makes me wonder – if people are struggling to feed themselves and their families, how are they going to feed their pets during these challenging times?
Birth of a nonprofit
Three days later, Kobe Henro, a pet food bank offering cat and dog food to hungry pets in need, was born. A fairly simple concept for delivering donated pet food from point A (donations from pet stores and pet food manufacturers) to point B (local food pantries). It only took a few months to build a strong and steady stream of donations for our pantry partners. Once our supply began to exceed our needs, we expanded to provide food assistance for pet shipments in the South. With the rescue partnership secured, when animal rescue haulers in the South head north to the Boston area to deliver adoptable pets, we fill their vans with donated pet food to help feed them in home care. of hundreds of hungry pets.
Our program appears to be working, and since launching in October 2020, we’ve hand-delivered over 22,000 pounds of donated food, toys, collars and leashes to pets in need. We are growing at a steady rate and have plans to expand nationwide.
behind the name
I’ve been a dog lover since I was a toddler, and thanks to my mom, I’ve been lucky enough to have an animal-loving gene that I’ve generously passed on to my three daughters. Dogs are family. I grew up with dogs and four wonderful canines were a very special part of my life, Koolie, Belle, Henry and Rosita. Koolie stands for KO, Belle BE, Henry HEN and Rosita RO, hence KOBE HENRO. We are a non-profit organization in honor of the wonderful dogs that have been a part of my life since the mid-1980s.
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We are a small but strong self-funded organization run by myself and two canine assistants, Henry and Rosita. Soon, we will implement a formal expansion plan.
Our brief time in pet food banking confirmed that our program works well and is very easy to navigate. America has a surplus of pet food, and our mission is to feed hungry cats and dogs in need. Instead of wasting excess food, we put it in the bowls of those in need. We never want caring pet owners to have to surrender their pets due to financial hardship. To date, we estimate that we have filled over 66,000 bowls and plan to triple that number by the end of 2022.
Our warm and comforting journey has allowed us to make new friends and meet some amazing animal lovers who have truly changed the world.
If you are interested in participating in our expansion as a donor, grantee or volunteer, please contact us via email: info@kobehenro.org or via Facebook Messenger or Instagram @kobehenropetfoodbank.
#kobehenrokares
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