My name is Helen Lam and I've spent more than ten years working with the homeless and their companion pets. My first volunteer experience was at a Bellingham homeless shelter, where I was intrigued by the idea of working with the homeless and volunteering at the shelter. I've witnessed a lot of individuals experiencing homelessness with pets come to the shelter to eat and rest while I've been volunteering there. They loved and cared for their pets as if they were their family.

For those experiencing homelessness, pet food is always an issue. Unfortunately, their resources were never enough. They sometimes had to feed their pets human meals because they didn't have enough money to buy pet food. I have also witnessed the denial of access to a veterinarian for some ill or injured pets belonging to those experiencing homelessness, a situation that repeatedly broke my heart. Many of them will suffer from chronic discomfort, become handicapped, or have their owners abandon them as a result of not getting the right care. It is truly painful to watch these poor animals suffer so much.

After witnessing an incident, I began advocating for those experiencing homelessness and their pets. One late afternoon, over ten years ago, a woman experiencing homelessness brought her limping, weeping puppy to the shelter. The owner told me the fight her dog had, resulting in serious injuries. To check if any of the nonprofit organization would assist with the vet's medical costs, the owner attempted to contact a number of them. Unfortunately, no organizations offered assistance, and I was very sorry to see the owner and the injured dog walk away without any help.

After that day, I decided to do anything I could to help those experiencing homelessness and their pets. I would strive to save as much money as possible to support their pets, given that Bellingham lacks organizations that offer veterinarian care or pet supplies to those experiencing homelessness and their pets. When I can help them and their pets, I am pleased and joyful. I have helped them ever since, and I have no intention of stopping.

My mission has been harder to maintain lately; I just established the nonprofit LOVE2HOPE in order to ask for assistance from the general public. I am imploring generous donors to donate some money so I could start to run my nonprofit. Every dollar will help to improve their quality of life.

LOVE2HOPE's mission is to assist the people who experiencing homelessness with their pets with veterinary care, access vaccinations, provide pet food and supplies.

Thank you for your support