Student-Led Donation Drive Raises 1,230 Lbs. Worth of Pet Food

Last month, student volunteer Ava Vasquez wrapped up her fourth annual pet food drive at Santa Barbara’s Vieja Valley Elementary, collecting an impressive 1,230 pounds worth of pet food donations for C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Companion Pet Assistance program.

Vasquez has taken initiative to help the program by visiting the elementary school that it is held at to gather donations, answer students’ questions, and get the kids excited. When the week-long drive comes to a close, Ava and another C.A.R.E.4Paws representative gather all of the donations and weigh each class’s contributions individually. The class with the most pounds raised earns a pizza party. Afterward, they load the food into the van for distribution.

“I love seeing the empty van get filled up to the top with so much food, knowing it’s going directly to people in our community who need it,” said Vasquez.

C.A.R.E.4Paws was founded in 2009 by Isabelle Gullö as a nonprofit organization to help families on the Central Coast who have pets to provide for their four-legged companions amidst the rising cost of care and other barriers to accessing pet services.

The organization works directly with over 25,000 pet families in underserved communities in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, providing services to low-income, senior, disabled, and unhoused pet owners via a range of critical resources. These include free and low-cost veterinary services, help with behavior training and grooming, and distribution of pet food. Since the pandemic began, the organization has distributed more than six million pet meals.

Vasquez’s efforts play a large role in the success of the organization. “Ava’s successful annual drive helps support C.A.R.E.4Paws’s pet food distribution in a big way, and we are so grateful to Ava, her friend and collaborator, Luccia Macaluso, along with the students and teachers at Vieja Valley Elementary,” said Gullö. “The fundraiser truly embodies the concept of the community supporting community, and we hope that Ava’s compassion and dedication to help animals and their families will inspire more students to organize their own fundraisers — whether it’s for C.A.R.E.4Paws or another cause that’s close to their hearts.”

C.A.R.E.4Paws has worked to reduce pet overpopulation and improve pet family welfare by creating safety nets that keep cats and dogs healthy and out of shelters, with loving owners.

Vasquez began volunteering at the organization when she was in 7th grade, where she assisted at their mobile veterinary clinics by helping to check in pets for appointments and arranging supplies. With her experience at these clinics and seeing the real impact she was having on families, she formulated a plan to make her own pet food drive.

“I saw how appreciative the families were, and I thought it would be a really good project to start and also to inspire other students to get involved to help those in need,” said Vasquez.

As a pet owner herself, Vasquez also knows the joy that pets bring to families. “This organization gives families the help they might need to keep their pets, and I think that’s really important, not only for the people but the dogs and cats that are kept out of shelters and able to stay in a loving home,” said Vasquez.

Vasquez set up the pet food drive at her own elementary school, which has been a full circle moment for her. “I love that this drive is establishing itself as a tradition at my old elementary school,” said Vasquez. She continued, “We have raised more and more food each year, and I think it shows that people are connecting with this cause and hopefully becoming more aware of it.”

To learn more about C.A.R.E.4Paws or to contribute, visit care4paws.org/help.