SALYERSVILLE – While the Magoffin County Head Start program has a pets unit every year, this year, in honor of the late Betty White, the program is raising funds for the new Magoffin County Animal Shelter.
Kelli Isaac, the director of federal programs (which includes Head Start) for Magoffin County Schools, told the Independent, “Betty White was a such a light, so as we’re kicking off our pets unit, we’ve partnered with the Board of Education to provide this community-based project to support the animal shelter.”
Long-time actress and TV personality Betty White passed away on December 31 at the age of 99, less than a month away from what would have been her 100th birthday. The Magoffin County Head Start program is joining many around the nation in honoring White’s love for animals by supporting the local animal shelter with their new “Thank You for Being a Friend” program.
“What better way to remember her than by sharing love to our furbabies?” Isaac said.
The Magoffin County Animal Shelter opened in September 2021, after years of paying other shelters fees for limited services. The shelter is ran by the county with minimal leftover funding from past projects, volunteer help and donations, and some temporary county workers. Isaac said the school district and the Head Start program want to help keep this much-needed service in the county for years to come.
“This being our first-ever animal shelter in our county, we want to do everything we can to help it succeed,” Isaac said. “In the Head Start office, we’re all animal lovers and when we brought this to Superintendent Chris Meadows, who also loves animals, he was so supportive. We all want to see the animal shelter do well and stay in the county forever.”
The Magoffin County Head Start program has had the help of local veterinarians and parents with unique pets to keep the pets unit fun for the students, showing the youngest Magoffin County students different types of pets and how to care for them, with the “Thank You for Being a Friend” program being one of the largest community-based projects they’ve taken on.
“The community doesn’t always get to see all the positives, but we want to put a smile on everyone’s faces and help out this amazing service we finally have here in our county,” Isaac said.
Donations for the animal shelter will be accepted at the Magoffin County Head Start Office and at the Magoffin County Board Office from now through the end of February. People can also purchase items selected by the animal shelter representatives on the following Amazon link and the items will be mailed directly to the Magoffin County Animal Shelter: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5ANYBG5C7USI?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR38peAHRWB3-NEFOJ9WaI5lWmkBrWURQYL6NGlXfehbl4zV8gyJbLDTSn0
For more information about the “Thank You for Being a Friend” program, contact the Magoffin County Head Start office at 606-349-3488 or the Magoffin County Board Office at 606-349-6117.
