Dogs for the Deaf Public Service Announcement in the April/May 2008 issue of American Lifestyle Magazine.
Volunteer invited to meet President Bush
A longtime DFD volunteer, Lois Rodger, was given the opportunity to meet President Bush as he visited the Rogue Valley. The president makes it a practice to meet with volunteers of non-profit organizations while traveling around the US as a way to promote volunteering. A White House staff member chose Dogs for the Deaf from a list on the Medford Chamber of Commerce Web site after visiting the DFD Web site. According to a statement from the White House, President Bush has met with over 300 volunteers since March 2002. He has created the USA Freedom Corps and has called on all Americans to volunteer 2 years or 4,000 hours of service over the course of their lifetimes.
Lois has volunteered for Dogs for the Deaf since 1998, and staff and dogs alike have benefitted from her time and dedication. Sometimes she works with the dogs in training--exercising and socializing them. At other times, she has put her knowledge and expertise to use working in the office, and we all appreciate her contribution to DFD.
Heather Whitestone McCallum National Spokesperson for DFD
In 1995, Heather Whitestone was crowned Miss America. This beautiful, charming lady was the first deaf woman to win the Miss America Pageant. Heather has had a severe hearing loss since birth, but she has not let disability stop her from achieving her goals.
When we were looking for a spokesperson to help us spread the word about the special work of DFD, we wanted someone who was well known, loved dogs, had a positive image and reputation, and someone who was familiar with the challenges of deafness. Heather's name was at the top of our list. We contacted her and she agreed to help.
Heather flew to southern Oregon to learn more about DFD and to film some public service advertisements for us. Heather seemed as impressed with DFD as we were with her. She is a delightful and busy young wife and mother who accepts challenges with a natural southern grace and charm. It was an excellent match. We spent a busy day filming four ads.
The ads have been edited, duplicated, and distributed around the country to a variety of television stations. Public service ads are run free of charge by the stations, and Heather generously donated her time to this project so it is an excellent tool for telling the country about Dogs for the Deaf and the wonderful service provided by our specially trained Hearing Dogs.
The American Kennel Club Dog Museum features Dogs for the Deaf.
The American Kennel Club has a dog museum in St. Louis, Missouri, and we were proud to be featured as part of an Assistance Dog Exhibit at the museum .
Along with DFD, the Seeing Eye from Morristown, New Jersey, and Canine Companions for Independence from Santa Rosa, California, were also featured.
The exhibit included portraits, photographs, training equipment, and a variety of displays - all related to Hearing Dogs, Guide Dogs, and Service Dogs.
This was another wonderful opportunity to tell people about Dogs for the Deaf.
A longtime DFD volunteer, Lois Rodger, was given the opportunity to meet President Bush as he visited the Rogue Valley. The president makes it a practice to meet with volunteers of non-profit organizations while traveling around the US as a way to promote volunteering. A White House staff member chose Dogs for the Deaf from a list on the Medford Chamber of Commerce Web site after visiting the DFD Web site. According to a statement from the White House, President Bush has met with over 300 volunteers since March 2002. He has created the USA Freedom Corps and has called on all Americans to volunteer 2 years or 4,000 hours of service over the course of their lifetimes.
