Jenine Carter
CSRA Humane Society
The CSRA Humane Society is a volunteer-run, no-kill animal shelter located inside a historic jailhouse in Augusta. Jenine Carter is on the Board of Directors and has been a volunteer for eighteen years. She started volunteering at the CSRA Humane Society because her niece said that she wanted to be a vet. “She was in second grade and we went down there and I got hooked on it. I love doing this,” shares Jenine.
“We get probably 25 to 30 calls a week of people wanting to surrender their animals,” says Jenine. The organization operates solely off of donations to provide the necessities for the animals. You can make donations to CSRA Humane Society PO Box 204120, Augusta, GA 30917. They are located at 425 Wood Street and their hours are every Saturday from 11am to 4pm and Mondays from 6pm to 8pm. If you are interested in adopting a pet, the CSRA Humane Society would like to invite you to visit them and see their selection of animals.
Jen-Liz Maldonado, Air Force Veteran
Semi-Finalist Ms. Veteran America & Advocate for Final Salute, Inc.
Jen-Liz, an Augusta native, attended the Air Force Academy and then served for two years on active duty as a cybersecurity officer. After medical retirement, she began looking for ways to get involved in veteran programs. “I came across Ms. Veteran America and thought it was a really cool competition because their whole motto is ‘a woman beyond the uniform’,” she shares. “I really liked that because it has helped me find an identity outside of the military.”
Jen-Liz also loved the purpose behind Final Salute, Inc., a non-profit associated with Ms. Veteran America. “The mission of Final Salute is to provide suitable housing and support for homeless women veterans and their children,” she explains. “To be part of something that supports such a good cause brings a lot of meaning towards what I'm doing.”
To donate to Final Salute and follow Jen-Liz’s progress for Ms. Veteran America this summer, visit @Jen-LizM4MVA2023 on Facebook.
Angela Bakos
Resourced Network
Angela Bakos started Resourced Network three years ago wanting to help people and organizations in need. “Basically, I track community resources. Everything from food, clothing, healthcare, mental health, addiction… all of the different things,” says Angela. “I also track volunteer opportunities for organizations that need help and if they accept donations.”
Angela decided to start Resourced Network after someone she knew needed assistance with rent. She was able to find a program to connect that family to and she wondered what other organizations she could make connections with. “I started throwing a list together of organizations and I called one of them only to find out they had been closed for five years. That’s why I personally verify everybody before they go on the list,” says Angela. Every six months, Angela re-verifies every resource to make sure they are still active.
To view Angela’s list of resources, visit the Resourced Network Facebook page and go to the photos folder.
Jennifer Jones
Apparo Academy
Apparo Academy is a nonprofit childcare center for kids six weeks old through kindergarten. “We serve children of all abilities, 40% of our students are typically developing students that would go to childcare anywhere, and then the other 60% of our students have varying and different needs. Some are therapy needs, some are medical needs, and some have both,” says Jennifer Jones, the Founder and Executive Director at Apparo Academy.
Classrooms consist of ten children and three qualified teachers. “The children who need therapy and medical care receive all of that here at one location so their parents can work. We have a full day program from 7:30am to 5pm and they get all their speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and a quality education,” says Jennifer.
For more information about Apparo Academy and how you can support them, please visit apparoacademy.org.
