Volunteering - Orphaned Kitten Program

My second volunteering was done at the lesser know Orphaned Kitten Program. It is a program that rescues and fosters orphaned kittens (under 5 weeks old) and then finds adoptive "forever" homes for them (after 8 weeks old). Anne Marie was a very nice woman (especially with our address mix up the week before). She first took me on a tour of the modest yet well supplied and cleaned room where the program is run. Then I got to meet the first two kittens of the year:

Bradley

Alex

Both were found about two weeks ago (three hours apart) and had bad eye infections. But both have recovered well and are in a foster home with Hannah:

It is important for the two kittens to be fostered together even though they are from different litters. If they don't socialize at any early age with other kittens they can become anti-social, mean cats later in life. They love to wrestle:

I was lucky enough to go with Anne Marie when she picked up a newly rescued kitten. The kitten was the only survivor of a (probably) feral cat litter who froze to death after abandoned by their mother.

Carina is about a week old and underweight.

Volunteer Assignment -- Pets Come First

For class we were assigned to "volunteer" our photography skills to a local non-profit organization for a minimum of four hours. I chose to split this four hours into two different organizations: Pets Come First and Orphaned Kitten Program.

Jen at Pets Come First was very welcoming and easy-going. She led me around the facilities and then let me wander around them myself. I took photos of the newest dog to come in:

Chance is a white Boxer who is deaf. But he was super playful and happy.

Everyday they take the dogs out to the runs and let them play for a little bit.

She was super pretty (and had a little bit of a run in with the dog below)

He was a big sweetheart who loved to throw the ball around.

She was just so full of energy and loved to sit under the chair this other volunteer is sitting on. He was a great volunteer. 

Another feature of PCF is the "cat room" where they let the vaccinated and healthy cats play together. It was a lot of fun to sit in there and play/photograph the cats.

My favorite kitten was Moonlight, who was waiting for tests so she was kept in a separate cage.

The biggest pain was BunBun the slightly aggressive rabbit, who was very uncooperative:

It was a nice few hours spent photographing/playing with animals. Everyone at PCF was very friendly.

Deadline Assignment

Today in class we had to shoot on a deadline, which meant we had a little over an hour to shoot 4 things:

This was to show the effect of Yellow Elms disease at Penn State: so this sign is place nearby where one of the oldest elms on campus recently was cut down due to the disease.

This is the State College Centennial sculpture, which was dedicated July 7th, 1996.

This is to show the design of the new CATA buses: this photo shows an old style bus pulling out of the stop as a new one pulls in (out with the old in with the new).

This is about a business that's been in Sate College for over 50 years: Harper's Fine Clothing and Sportswear has been in business since 1926. Here Judd Williams sets the hem on a customer's umpiring pants.

Photo Story Part 1 -- Milk Home Delivery

For my photo story for 469 I am documenting one of the "last Flinstones" or Home Delivery Milkmen of State College and the remaining area. Vale Wood Farms from Loretta delivers to State College on Mondays and Thursday. "Dan the Milkman" let me go with him on Thursday morning through his route, which begins as 6am.

Here is a portrait of Dan.

One of the first houses we visited, shortly after 6am.

Outside of the house above Dan discovered he had a broken tail light, which he had to log

Dan delivers to the Dairy Testing Lab on Penn State campus just after sunrise.

Dan stocks the fridge in the break room of one the Ag buildings on campus.

Some customers prefer that Dan stocks their garage fridges directly