Sometimes the most intimate of venues carry the most impact and heart.

Last night I had the honor to attend a Music for Missions event supporting theVine.co. Being a supporter of theVine.co for a while now (written about them a couple of times now) I know the heart of its founders Rick and Samantha.

The mission of the Vine.co is to help Mission Teams raise money for Mission Trips to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and minister to those in need all around the world.

Music for Missions is one vessel that Rick and Samantha use to be able to fund the mission they have started in Canaan, Haiti. Rick spends hours and hours late at night scouring the internet for artist that have a similar heart for Christ and his people.

On this night we had the opportunity to spend an evening with a few dozen guests listening to the music and testimony of Chris August. I personally have been a fan of Chris’ for many many years. Chris is one of those artists that is not afraid to admit his flaws and uses his own mistakes and acceptance of God’s grace as his testimony.

Local artist Keira Mackenzie from FaithbridgeChurch in Jacksonville opened up the evening with her fresh raw talent. If you have a chance to hear her sing she has quite a future ahead or her.

Then there was a group that came all the way from Ireland based in Nashville, called We Are Messengers, in which the lead singer Darren Mulligan did an acoustic set. I cannot wait for their album to drop in November and see them out on the WinterJam tour this year.

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You may not be able to teach old dogs new tricks but you can give them a new lease on life at The Old Dog House.

I had the opportunity to talk with Kim from The Old Dog House, a nonprofit dog rescue located in Jacksonville Florida. They have been saving older dogs in our community for many years now. By rescuing the dogs that would otherwise be ignored at the shelters they provide them a place to live out their golden years. In doing so they save them as well as foster and provide adoption opportunities.

1. How did the old dog house first start out?
When I worked at the humane society about ten years ago, I realized that older and senior dogs were not getting the opportunity for adoption that they deserved. The shelter was open admission at this time, so space was always an issue and hard decisions had to be made. When I left the humane society, I decided to be an advocate for older and senior dogs. That is how The Old Dog House started in 2006.

2. How many senior dogs do you take in?
We have an average capacity of 15 dogs. Our adoption numbers are low with 4 to 8 getting placed in new homes each year. Dogs can stay with us anywhere from a few days to the remainder of their lives, which could be years. Adoption is our ultimate goal with each dog we bring into the rescue.

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I had the opportunity and privilege to sit down with Rick DuCharme, Founder and Executive Director of First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP). We met for lunch at Joseph’s on Main Street. Over lasagna and cal-zones we discussed the exciting future of FCNMHP. Next weekend December 19th-21st,  FCNMHP will be hosting the final Mega Pet Adoption at the fairgrounds. This provides a one stop place for people looking to adopt a dog or cat. Many of the high risk shelters and rescue groups will be on hand to match you with your next family member. For only a 20 dollar adoption fee you can save two lives, the one you take home and the one that is saved in its place. As we close in on year’s end and people are making last-minute donations FCNMHP has a fantastic solution. With the generosity of a donor all dollars donated between now and the end of the year will be doubled. This means if you donate 25.00 it will be 50.00 or 50.00 becomes 100.00 and so on. This provides a fantastic opportunity for your dollars to go farther to save lives. FCNMHP also believes that animal owners should not be forced to decide whether to get their pet the medical care they need. They have an ongoing Angel Fund that through the generous help of its donors provides medical treatment to the homeless as well as those that otherwise would be unable to afford treatment. This program has been a great success and you can read […]

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