How can I help?

ECAD Feeds and

Recommends

Nutro brand dog food.

ECAD is proud to be a fully accredited, voting member of Assistance Dogs International.

There are many ways to contribute!

Whether it's a gift-in-kind, financial gift, or gift of your time and talent,

we appreciate any and all help from members of the community.

All donations to ECAD are fully tax deductible.

If you don't see something you're interested in below,

come up with your own project and we'll help you make it happen!

Fundraising:

	Join a committee, sell raffle tickets, or obtain donations for Family Fun Day, held every spring.
	Hold an event for your school, business, religious, or service group (bake sale, penny drive, ice cream social, 50/50, raffle, disability awareness day, pooch parade, smooch-a-pooch, pancake breakfast, poker tournament, bowl- walk- or jump-a-thon, etc.).
	Help with public relations, marketing, fundraising, or grant writing.
	Help acquire resources like corporate sponsors, goods and services.

Family Fun Day Committees:

	Raffle
	Silent Auction
	Food
	Games and Prizes
	Tents and Decorations
	Advertising and Signage

Home for the Weekend Handlers:

Part-time foster program for Service Dogs in Training.

Volunteers pick up a puppy or older dog in training on Thursday or Friday, and bring it back on Monday morning!

To participate, volunteers must attend a weekend training seminar.

Click here for more information.

Dog-ercisers:

	Come to the Dobbs Ferry location and exercise the dogs in our outdoor pens.
	Exercise is more fun with a buddy--Take one of ours for a walk on campus!
	Training will be provided.

Best Friends Assistants:

	Help our instructors manage therapeutic recreation programs with CV youth.
	Programs take place Thursday and Friday after school until 8pm, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday afternoon.
	This is a CV sponsored program; volunteers must have a thorough background check before participating.

Community Outreach/Events: Raise awareness and support by participating in events.

	Help set up or break down booths, hand out brochures, take donations, talk to members of the public, handle dogs or puppies, etc. at fairs, parades, dog shows, demonstrations, disability fairs, or our Family Fun Day.
	Organize Service Dog demonstrations at local events or for school, religious, business, or service groups.
	Drive the ECAD bus (CDL license with passenger endorsement required) for community events or training field trips with clients and/or student trainers.
	Help with client-based events like team training and graduation. Needs include preparing rooms for clients’ arrival, organizing a welcome breakfast or lunch, creating and sending out graduation invitations, decorating, or organizing a graduation dinner.

Special Projects: Pick one of ours or create your own.

	Facility Improvements are always appreciated at our training centers. Needs include covered outdoor runs, wheelchair friendly landscaping, storage facilities, paving, etc. Some projects will also require volunteers to raise funds or obtain supplies through donations.
	Video editing/graphic design. Help create promotional and training videos, a new ECAD brochure, or ECAD merchandise (t-shirts, cards, calendars, etc.).
	Create your own project. Past ideas have included a letter-writing campaign to veterinarians asking them to donate services, knitting dog blankets, painting murals at the training center, or photographing events

At our facilities:

	Teens learn to socialize dogs on the weekends (Torrington only).
	Help with landscaping and building projects.
	Help prepare for Team Training by preparing the manuals and other educational materials, preparing the rooms for clients’ arrival, or organizing or preparing a welcome breakfast or lunch (Dobbs Ferry only).
	Help out during Team Training by videotaping training sessions or driving clients to/from field trips (CDL required).
	Help prepare for graduations. Some of our needs include: creating and sending out graduation invitations, creating a graduation program, decorating, or organizing the graduation dinner. This is a great way to meet our teen trainers, too, who are always part of these events.

Fundraising:

Join a committee, sell raffle tickets, or obtain donations for Family Fun Day, held every spring.

Hold an event for your school, business, religious, or service group (bake sale, penny drive, ice cream social, 50/50, raffle, disability awareness day, pooch parade, smooch-a-pooch, pancake breakfast, poker tournament, bowl- walk- or jump-a-thon, etc.).

Help with public relations, marketing, fundraising, or grant writing.

Help acquire resources like corporate sponsors, goods and services.

Dog-ercisers:

Best Friends Assistants:

Community Outreach/Events: Raise awareness and support by participating in events.

Special Projects: Pick one of ours or create your own.

At our facilities:

Teens learn to socialize dogs on the weekends (Torrington only).

Help with landscaping and building projects.

Help prepare for Team Training by preparing the manuals and other educational materials, preparing the rooms for clients’ arrival, or organizing or preparing a welcome breakfast or lunch (Dobbs Ferry only).

Help out during Team Training by videotaping training sessions or driving clients to/from field trips (CDL required).

Help prepare for graduations. Some of our needs include: creating and sending out graduation invitations, creating a graduation program, decorating, or organizing the graduation dinner. This is a great way to meet our teen trainers, too, who are always part of these events.