Teresa, you aren’t a Christian Scientist, so how did you come to find Broadview?
I am friends with, and worked with, the son of a Broadview guest. I came to visit with him and then I came on my own when he moved out of the area. While visiting I mentioned that my Dalmatian, Lexi, had just gotten her certification to do community service and the guest told me about the Broadview Pet visits. I started coming with Lexi soon after. That was in August 2015.
What is your life about when you’re not volunteering, your work, hobbies, etc.
I work at JPL, as a NASA director financial analyst and I’ve been there for 30 years. One neat thing is there’s always resources available to do NASA presentations to share at schools or other organizations which I enjoy doing. One time I visited Broadview without Lexi and did one of those. It tells about our nation’s legendary space program and their present projects and future goals.
I spend a lot of my free time volunteering with Lexi. I’m active with Pet Partners, who certified Lexi and me. Places like Universal invite us to visit different departments. I have organized 6-8 pet teams for “Health Day” events. I also used to be a Board member at The Peacock Foundation, a very special organization bringing Los Angeles children and animals together to overcome social and emotional barriers so that they could be free to learn new skills and feel better. They recently closed when the founder needed to relocate. I was sorry to see it, but it allowed me to pursue some new volunteer opportunities. For example, I now participate in the a Paws Reading program twice a month. Held at libraries, children read to the dogs, building confidence and improving reading skills. It’s so cute to watch!
In 2019 I rescued another Dalmatian, my sixth one! She’s so darn sweet – her name is Angie – the gal that brought her from Mexico said Angie had a very sad, hard eight years being tied up outside and used for breeding to sell her puppies. She is doing great now and I’m in the process of getting her certified to soon join Lexi and me for community service.
Why do you volunteer and what is the most satisfying part of your volunteer work?
I have the time. I’m not married, and I don’t have kids, so it’s an enjoyable way to spend my time and the community becomes an extension of family. It feels good and it’s fun to share Lexi with so many people. Every place is different, but it’s always rewarding putting smiles on faces.
What do you enjoy about volunteering at Broadview?
What I enjoy about volunteering at Broadview with Lexi is how welcoming everyone is and, as I mentioned before, all the smiles Lexi puts on faces. Lexi is very entertaining for the hour we are there. Even employees love stopping by to say hello to Lexi. Over these past five years I feel very welcomed and have built great friendships by way of pet visits with Lexi.