East Hampton Middle School’s Do Good Be Good Club delivered much-needed towels for the dogs and cats at the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons Adoption Center in Wainscott.
Club members had collected towels over the last few weeks and took several dozen to the animal shelter on Saturday, filling an important need for the organization.
“Around school we asked for towels for two weeks,” said Samantha Duda, a sixth grader. “A lot of people brought in towels. My mom gave me two big bags.”
“They use lots of towels to clean up if they have an accident,” said Natalie Petykowski, a seventh grader. “I loved the dogs. I have one at home, a German shepherd. I mostly like dogs, but I’m friends with all animals. The cats were really cute too.”
Bridget Stonemetz, the adoptions director at ARF, was thrilled to have the kids come in, not only to accept their donations but to take them around the shelter and tell them about everything that happens there. “It’s really important because the community isn’t aware of what we do here and all of our services. So it’s great for the kids to get involved, bring towels for the dogs, but also for the community to get more involved.”
Besides adoptions, ARF offers classes for all dogs, whether or not they’ve been adopted from the shelter. It also has a low-cost veterinary clinic on Saturdays and Mondays. And there are endless opportunities to go in and help out.
“Volunteer, donate, just come and spend time here and see what we do,” Ms. Stonemetz said. “There’s dog walking, cat socialization. You can help prepare food. You can help prepare enrichment for the dogs. There are endless possibilities. We have kitten season coming up and it’s coming quick. We have a big kitten shower on April 11. We hope everyone can make it.”
David Cataletto, a sixth-grade teacher who started the Do Good Be Good Club last year, said the towel drive was a great way to engage the middle school in doing something good. “The whole school got involved. We have 200 students and we collected a lot of towels,” he said. “It will definitely help these cats and dogs out. It was a nice connection that the kids brought some things here to help and got a tour.”
This winter, the Do Gooders have been busy with community projects. “We helped out at the library. We helped clean all of the toys and sanitize them. We spent a morning there,” Mr. Cataletto said. “We went to L.V.I.S. and helped organize books and clean up there. The kids do it because they want to help the community and then they feel good about themselves. It’s a win-win.”
While the ARF visit was a tremendous success, he was a little concerned he might get calls from a parent or two whose children are now begging for a new cat or dog.
“I got to see a lot of new pets and I hope I get to interact more with them. Sadly, I have no pets at home,” said Janice Garcia, a seventh grader. “I liked Pickles the pitbull. I don’t like when people think they’re mean. I really love pitbulls a lot.”
Next up, the Do Good Be Good Club will be marching in Montauk’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on March 29. Any East Hampton middle schoolers who would like to join the group should contact Mr. Cataletto. Organizations with potential projects for the club can contact East Hampton Middle School at 631-329-4100.