Puppy Project, food bank join forces

Item by Chris Graham

The Puppy Project and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network are joining hands on a special project this holiday season.
Donations to The Puppy Project will be split with the food bank to deliver gifts of Sparky, a plush, stuffed puppy, to children in the food bank’s outreach programs – including the BackPack Program, Operation Angel Food and Kids Cafe.
The Puppy Project was created by a local Avon district sales manager, Debrah Ramsey.
“I was asked by an (Avon) representative if we could help her church’s food pantry,” Ramsey said. “Their small church distributes to 26 families, and they were struggling to keep up. Then another church approached me. Realizing there was a need, and since I have a deep desire to help others, I wanted to figure out a way we could give beyond everyone bringing canned food to a meeting. Sparky, the puppy, was one way we could.”
A $17 donation will provide a gift of a Sparky to a child in need.
The deadline to sponsor a puppy is Nov. 28.
To participate in the project, contact …
– Winchester Avon district manager Tracy Adams, 540.869.1006, press # 2 or #3, P.O. Box 263, Stephens City, VA 22655, [email protected].
– Charlottesville Area Avon district manager Ruthann Yonkovig, 434.985.3583; press #1 then #3, P.O. Box 62, Stanardsville, VA 22973, [email protected].
– Harrisonburg area Avon district manager Rebecca Teter, 540.896.3370, press #1 then #3, P.O. Box 645, Broadway, VA 22815, [email protected].
– Staunton/Rockbridge Avon district manager Debrah Ramsey, 540.886.2806, press #1 then #3, P O Box 765 Verona VA 24482, [email protected]