New Year, New Me with MEHS: Ways to Get Involved
- developmentmgr
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
A new year always brings a fresh sense of motivation, a chance to try something new, give back, and make a meaningful difference. If one of your goals for 2026 is to get more involved in your community and volunteer at an animal shelter, Metro East Humane Society (MEHS) has so many ways for you to turn that resolution into real impact for local pets and families.
Every day, MEHS works to improve the lives of people and pets through lifesaving programs, community resources, and compassionate care. None of that happens without the support of people like you. Whether you have an hour a week or just want to help from home, there’s a place for everyone in the MEHS pack.
Volunteer Your Time
Volunteers are the heart of MEHS. By giving your time, you directly support the animals in our care and our staff working hard behind the scenes.
Here are just a few ways volunteers make a difference:
Dog Walking & Cat Socialization: Spend one-on-one time helping pets stay active, happy, and comfortable around people while they are at the shelter, which also helps make them more adoptable.
Animal Care Support: Help our staff with feeding, cleaning, and enrichment for dogs and cats while they are in our care.
Dogventures: Take a shelter dog out for a special field trip to a local preapproved location. These breaks from the shelter environment help dogs decompress, burn energy, and show off their personalities in a real-world setting.
Play Group Volunteer: Help dogs safely socialize with one another in supervised play yards. This role requires completion of a training program and plays a huge part in improving behavior, confidence, and overall well-being. If you are interested in assisting with play groups, email Breleigh at manager@mehs.org for more information.
Pet Food Pantry Support: Assist with bagging and organizing pet food that goes directly to families in our community through the MEHS Pet Food Pantry. This hands-on role helps keep pets in their homes during times of financial hardship.
Adoption, Outreach & Tabling Events: Represent MEHS at community events, adoption days, and outreach opportunities. Volunteers help share our mission, connect with the public, and grow awareness about adoption, fostering, and support programs.
Behind-the-Scenes Help: From laundry and organizing donations to administrative projects, there are many important roles that don’t require direct animal handling.
No matter your comfort level or schedule, MEHS will help you find a volunteer role that fits. Apply to become a volunteer today.
Open Your Home (and Heart) by Fostering
Fostering is one of the most impactful ways you can help. Foster families provide temporary homes for animals who may be too young, recovering from medical treatment, or simply stressed in the shelter environment. When you foster, MEHS provides all supplies, medical care, and support; you provide love and a safe place to land. Fostering not only saves lives, it also helps pets adjust to home life and gives us valuable insight into their personalities, making successful adoptions more likely. Just as importantly, every pet in a foster home frees up space at the shelter, allowing MEHS to take in more animals in need from our community and local animal control partners. If you’re ready to start fostering, you can apply here:
Have questions about fostering? Reach out to Avery at foster@mehs.org.
If you are new to fostering and not ready for a long-term commitment, you can still make a big difference with our short-term foster opportunity, a Slumber Pawty. Take a dog home just for a night or a weekend. These short breaks from the shelter help reduce stress, give dogs a chance to relax, and provide potential adopters with great insights from a home setting.
Join a Committee or Board of Directors
Are you looking to use your professional skills to make a difference? MEHS offers opportunities to serve in leadership and advisory roles that help guide the future of our organization.
Volunteer committees include:
Marketing & Communications Committee
Development Committee
Finance Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
These groups support everything from fundraising and outreach to financial oversight and long-term vision. For those interested in joining a committee, email developmentmgr@mehs.org to learn more and get involved.
For those ready to make an even deeper commitment, serving on the MEHS Board of Directors is another meaningful way to shape the organization’s future and expand its lifesaving impact. Apply to join the board on our website.
Get the Kids Involved With SuperMutt Squad
MEHS is proud to offer a summer youth volunteer program called SuperMutt Squad, designed for kids of all ages. This program gives young animal lovers the opportunity to learn about animal welfare, responsible pet care, and how shelters operate, all while making a positive difference. SuperMutt Squad runs from June 1 through July 31, and adult supervision is required for all children under 15. This is a great way to inspire compassion, community involvement, and a lifelong love for animals in the next generation.
Make a Donation
Financial gifts allow MEHS to respond quickly to medical emergencies, provide daily care for animals, and offer community programs that help pets stay with the families who love them.
Your donation supports:
Veterinary care and medications
Food, bedding, and enrichment for shelter pets
Low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics
Low-cost spay and neuter services
The MEHS Pet Food Pantry
Looking for other impactful ways to give? You can also:
Sponsor or host a fundraising event
Make a matching donation to inspire others to give
Cover adoption fees to help pets get into homes faster
To explore these giving opportunities, email Mady at developmentmgr@mehs.org. Ready to give now? Make a gift online today.
Donate Supplies
Helping MEHS with much-needed supplies is an easy and meaningful way to support the animals in our care. We are always in need of the following supplies:
Kuranda dog beds
Paper towels
Heavy-duty dog chew toys
Cat toys
Dog and cat treats
Cat beds
Cleaning supplies, including bleach and laundry detergent
Office supplies, such as printer paper, pens, manila folders, and post-it notes
Dog rope slip leads
Fleece blankets
Pooper scoopers
Newspaper
Shredded paper
30-gallon trash bags
55-gallon trash bags
Mop heads
Martingale dog collars
Additional supplies can be found on our Amazon Wish List. Hosting a supply drive at your workplace, school, or church is a great group project that directly benefits shelter pets and helps keep MEHS running smoothly.
Support Through Everyday Actions
You don’t have to volunteer on-site to still make an impact.
Every share, conversation, and small act of support helps animals find loving homes faster.
Host an Event or Group Outreach Opportunity
Are you part of a business, school, or organization that wants to get involved? MEHS can partner with groups to plan independent adoption events or outreach opportunities that work with your schedule while supporting our mission. It’s a great way to bring people together, give back as a team, and help more pets find homes. To start the conversation about hosting a community event or partnership, email Mady at developmentmgr@mehs.org.
Make Your Resolution Count
Getting involved with MEHS is more than a New Year’s resolution. It’s a way to be part of a compassionate community that believes every animal deserves a second chance. Whether you volunteer, foster, donate, serve on a committee, or simply help spread the word, you are directly improving the lives of people and pets right here in the Metro East. Ready to join our pack? Visit mehs.org/volunteer for more information on how to volunteer at an animal shelter. Together, we can make 2026 a lifesaving year.
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