Doghouse auction to benefit nonprofits kicks off at White Dog in Glen Mills
CONCORD » Artist Jay McClellan, along with local decorators and designers, have created nine unique dog houses that will be auctioned off online to benefit an array of local not-for-profit organizations. The doghouses will be on tour for viewing throughout the area in November. The event will kick off 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, at White Dog Cafe Glen Mills, 981 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that is open to the public.
The event will feature a doghouse designed by Barbara Balongue of Balongue Design Inc. Her doghouse will benefit Alpha Bravo Canine which raises, trains, and donates trained service dogs to U.S military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related disabilities.
Each dog house is 47” long, 28” wide, and 43” tall, and each one has its unique design and décor based on the talents and vision of its designer. Bids start at $500.
The dog houses will be shown at various locations throughout the region including the King of Prussia Town Center155 Village Drive King of Prussia, Nov. 12- 14, the National Dog Show at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks Nov. 19-21, and in the heart of Suburban Square, 49 St. George’s Rd., Ardmore Nov. 26-28. The auction will launch online on Nov.10 and end Dec. 3.
Each house features a unique design and a story behind the design inspiration. McClellan built each house and then turned them over to the designers for them to create their showpiece. Designers
can add to the exterior and interior of the houses with materials they already have but may not exceed $300 for new materials to encourage creativity and maintain fairness among the designers.
McClellan is the founder of Benevolent Hound, a not-forprofit organization that promotes and provide resources, educational tools, and partnership opportunities for artists to use their talents for good, and to help ensure the humane treatment of all animals. McClellan is designing and decorating a house for http://HelpUsAdopt.org, founded by former Main Line resident Becky Fawcett. Helpusadopt.org is a national 501(c)(3) financial grant program that helps couples and individuals with the cost of their adoptions by awarding grants up to $15,000. Helphusadopt.org supports both domestic and international foster care adoptions and does not charge applicants to apply. Since 2007 Helpusadopt.org has awarded 457 grants and over $4.1million.
The other not-for-profits and designers participating includeAlex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) with a house created by Rachel Schwartz, Brandywine Valley SPCA is paired with Greg Giegucz, CHOP Women’s Committee is paired with Annie O’Grady, Whitney Cutler and Pinemar President, Kyle Lissack, Fresh Artists is paired with Lindsey Vogel, Lower Merion Land Conservancy is paired with Jack Lindquist, Mac’s Fund is paired with Lauren Perno and Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is paired with Krystal Reinhard. Bidding information, photos of the houses and information about the not-for-profit organizations that are benefactors, as well as details about the houses, the designers can be found at https://www.benevolenthound.org/about.
White Horse Village CEO and Board Chair present at LeadingAge annual meeting
White Horse Village CEO and President Len Weiser and Chair of the Board of Directors Shirley Weaver were selected as thought leaders for the 2021 LeadingAge annual meeting and expo. LeadingAge represents more than 5,000 nonprofit aging service providers and other missionminded organizations.
Weiser and Weaver joined panelists Jennifer Schwalm of Baker Tilly and James Bodine of HJ Sims for the presentation titled Cultivating Board Innovation and Strategic Thinking on Oct. 24. The presentation defined board member responsibilities, outlined ways to foster innovation and strategic thinking at the board level and presented strategies to help boards remain effective while adapting to change and disruption. The panelists also featured tools that boards can use to remain focused on their organization’s mission, respond to unexpected changes, and carry out strategic planning. For more information on White Horse Village, located in Edgmont Township, visit http:// www.whitehorsevillage.org.
Neumann presents behind-the-scenes look at vintage Hollywood
Comedian Belynda Cleare will present “Behind the Scenes: Vintage Hollywood” at Neumann University, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the Meagher Theatre.
Cleare will share a lighthearted look at interesting but little-known facts about the stars and the production of some of the most memorable movies that America has produced, including “Gone with the Wind,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Sound of Music,” and “White Christmas.”
A standup comedian who performs at corporate events, comedy clubs and colleges across North America, Cleare has written and starred in a one-woman show: “Staying on the Right Side of Sanity: Diary of a Dirt-Road Diva.”
She was raised in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia and went on to earn a BA in Psychology with a Theater minor and a master’s degree in Social Work.
The event is sponsored by the Cultural Arts Forum at Neumann. Admission is $10, and masks are required for the audience. Proceeds benefit the Dr. Margaret Mary Kearney student scholarship fund, which assists non-traditional students at Neumann. For more information, visithttp://neumann.edu.
PRC conducts backyard composting webinars
In November, the Pennsylvania Resources Council will conduct two online environmental education webinars to teach residents the importance and process of backyard composting.
“Creating well-balanced compost is very easy in the fall,” according to PRC Education Program Coordinator Nancy Martin. “As trees shed leaves there’s an abundance of both decaying and fresh leaves, which each add value to compost.”
During a one-hour online session, individuals learn the benefits of backyard composting, including the overall process, methods for setting up a compost pile, proper maintenance
and ways to use finished compost. In addition to leaves, pinecones and straw can be placed in the compost bin along with vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and other plantbased material. Anything that used to be alive and no longer is will break down and decompose but only certain things should go in a backyard bin so rodents aren’t attracted or an odor problem occurs.
Registration is currently open for Backyard Composting webinars taking place online: Wednesday, Nov. 3, and Thursday, Nov. 18, from 6:30 — 7:30 p.m.
The course fee of $70 includes instruction plus a FreeGarden EARTH compost bin, which features an 82-gallon capacity ideal for both urban and suburban settings.Individuals living in this area can learn online and then make arrangements to pick up their 82-gallon compost bins at PRC’s eastern office in Delaware County. To register for a PRC webinar, email nancym@prc.org or visit http://www.prc.org/programs/webinars.
Public assistance grant funding available for
Hurricane Ida Flood victims
State Rep. Craig Williams, R-160 of Chadds Ford and Sen. John Kane, D-9 of Birmongham, announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Delaware County for public assistance funding for Chadds Ford Township residents, businesses and non-profits, like the Brandywine Conservancy, affected by the flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. FEMA typically covers about 75% of losses, but Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has committed to covering the remaining 25%. To date, $9 million in damages have been reported across Delaware County. Over the coming weeks, staff from PEMA will hold meetings with applicants to thoroughly review all application documentation to assist processing with FEMA. The process is expected to take several weeks, and all reimbursements will be handled electronically.