This month, COD Cares is partnering with the West Suburban Humane Society (WSHS), an animal welfare non-profit based in Downers Grove. Together, they are running the Love Your Pet Donation Drive to collect resources for animals supported by WSHS. This drive was created and spearheaded by a COD alumna, Grace Simandl. 

The drive began on Feb. 16 and continues through the month until Feb. 27. Students, faculty and the COD community are welcome to bring new pet resources to put in donation bins. The bins are white boxes with posters promoting the drive attached to them. They can be found in five areas around campus:

• Bookstore, Student Resource Center (SRC), First floor
• Student Life, Student Services Center (SSC), Room 1111 
• Health and Science Center Atrium
• Enrollment Services, SSC, Room 2280 
• Veterans Services, SSC, Room 3384

Simandl, a marketing student at North Central College who recently graduated from COD, remains involved with her alma mater. She orchestrated the drive through COD Cares and COD’s Community Engagement Specialist Joan DiPiero. COD Cares’ mission is to assist and give back to the local community. They achieve this through service, advocacy and collaboration with local businesses and non-profit organizations. 

Simandl said she has an extraordinary love for animals, which influenced her to create a cause to help them. What better avenue than through the large and engaged COD population, she thought. She also mentioned how she believes this is a matter many people in the community can rally behind and work together to achieve, which is part of the reason she chose it.  

“I knew I wanted to start a donation drive, and I have a love for animals,” she said. “My family and I have rescued dogs in the past, and I know that people love animals. I thought the West Suburban Humane Society was a well-known and reliable organization, so that completed my decision.”

Simandl set a few goals she hopes to reach with this drive. For one, she wants to spread awareness for animal shelters in general while also highlighting the West Suburban Humane Society and all the work they do. Most people have a vague awareness of animal shelters and how they help their communities. Putting the spotlight on a specific, local organization is a prime way to bring recognition to the cause. 

“I love animals and thought a lot of people would resonate with and want to collaborate with this organization,” Simandl said. 

WSHS provides in-house shelter and care for up to 25 dogs and 60 cats, with additional animals in foster homes. They rely mainly on volunteers to run their operations and connect animals with loving families looking to adopt. Along with caring for unhoused animals and finding them homes, rescuing and returning lost pets to their families through a pet database is one of WSHS’s main pillars. WSHS makes identification tags available to pet owners free of charge to keep pets with their owners permanently. 

The animals in need and the people who look after them at WSHS require many types of donations. Some of the items needed might not immediately occur to people when thinking about what to bring. Helpful contributions can include:

• Paper towels
• Antibacterial soap
• Disinfecting wipes
• Canned cat, kitten and dog food
• Non-retractable dog leashes (6 feet and 30 feet in length)
• Cat and dog toys of any kind 

Another goal Simandl shared is for the COD collective to connect not only with the non-profit but also with each other. She wants to encourage students, staff and others to talk about animal shelters and raise awareness for disadvantaged animals, she said. Ideally, people may even meet up to purchase donations to drop in the bins, sparking conversation about what they’re purchasing and why. 

“I wanted to create an opportunity for the COD community to connect, contribute and create positive change,” Simandl said. 

If you need help finding any of the locations of the donation bins, visit the official COD website for maps and guides of campus. Learn more about the West Suburban Humane Society and their mission on their website. You can also help by giving monetary donations.