Monday, December 15, 2008
BeadforLife at High Point University
Sorority sells jewelry to raise money for impoverished women
By Megan Keany
Although their philanthropy is juvenile diabetes, the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at High Point University couldn’t resist having a BeadforLife party last spring to sell colorful jewelry and help raise money for impoverished Ugandans.
Many of the sisters were unaware of the organization, but once they heard that hosting a jewelry party could make such a difference in the lives of others, they loved the idea and started planning the event right away.
“I wasn’t sure if I would like jewelry made from paper, but once I saw the colorful beads and learned how much effort was put into making them, they meant a lot more to me,” says sophomore Alpha Gamma Delta member, Bri Tell.
The event was open to the whole university and the jewelry was set up on long tables covered with black cloth to bring out the color of the beads.
Fact sheets on Ugandan women who have been lifted out of poverty were displayed on the tables to alert students about poverty and real women who have been affected by AIDS, violence, hunger, unemployment and more.
“Uganda seems so far away and in my daily life it doesn’t cross my mind that there are people suffering there,” senior Kimmy Freer admits.
An educational video on BeadforLife was set on repeat and the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta, along with other students socialized and watched the video while looking through and purchasing the jewelry.
“It is incredible to hear about how these women roll the beads and to actually look at them and how carefully they are put together. They are truly very pretty and a work of art,” says Bri.
Alpha Gamma Delta successfully raised over $300 from their party and are planning on having another one this spring semester.
“It was something fun and different to do and I still wear my jewelry all the time,” says Leah Fahey who received a bracelet as a gift from her sister.
Not only was the event fun to host for the members of Alpha Gamma Delta, but they were happy to learn something themselves, spread awareness and create better lives and opportunities for their sisters in Uganda
By Megan Keany
Although their philanthropy is juvenile diabetes, the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at High Point University couldn’t resist having a BeadforLife party last spring to sell colorful jewelry and help raise money for impoverished Ugandans.
Many of the sisters were unaware of the organization, but once they heard that hosting a jewelry party could make such a difference in the lives of others, they loved the idea and started planning the event right away.
“I wasn’t sure if I would like jewelry made from paper, but once I saw the colorful beads and learned how much effort was put into making them, they meant a lot more to me,” says sophomore Alpha Gamma Delta member, Bri Tell.
The event was open to the whole university and the jewelry was set up on long tables covered with black cloth to bring out the color of the beads.
Fact sheets on Ugandan women who have been lifted out of poverty were displayed on the tables to alert students about poverty and real women who have been affected by AIDS, violence, hunger, unemployment and more.
“Uganda seems so far away and in my daily life it doesn’t cross my mind that there are people suffering there,” senior Kimmy Freer admits.
An educational video on BeadforLife was set on repeat and the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta, along with other students socialized and watched the video while looking through and purchasing the jewelry.
“It is incredible to hear about how these women roll the beads and to actually look at them and how carefully they are put together. They are truly very pretty and a work of art,” says Bri.
Alpha Gamma Delta successfully raised over $300 from their party and are planning on having another one this spring semester.
“It was something fun and different to do and I still wear my jewelry all the time,” says Leah Fahey who received a bracelet as a gift from her sister.
Not only was the event fun to host for the members of Alpha Gamma Delta, but they were happy to learn something themselves, spread awareness and create better lives and opportunities for their sisters in Uganda
Bead for Life ( revised)
Ugandan jewelry helps end poverty
By Megan Keany
December 15, 2008
University of Colorado senior, Chelsea Burns, is among tens of thousands of people in North America who have partnered with impoverished Ugandans to help combat extreme poverty.
During her sophomore year of college, Chelsea wanted to be a part of something related to Africa when her professor recommended attending an interest meeting regarding a student group called BeadforLife.
“I went to the interest meeting and right away I knew I wanted to get involved” says Chelsea. She spent the semester learning everything she could about the organization, all the ins and outs of how the non-profit was run, where Uganda is located, and what political and social events were occurring in the country.
Chelsea began hosting bead parties where jewelry made by Ugandan women is sold. The profit made is sent back to BeadforLife which invests the money into community development projects in Uganda. The income generated helps the beaders by providing them with medicine, housing, sustainable life skills and health services and education.
The organization is unique because it strives teach Ugandans how to work their way out of poverty forever. They focus on community development as opposed to other charity associations which help Africans with clothing, food and other necessities, but doesn’t teach them how to rebuild their lives and survive on their own.
“We try to lead with relationship between the beader and the women who buy their beads. There is an element of sharing stories and participating together to create a better world,” says one of the founders of BeadforLife, Torkin Wakefield.
Bead parties are held in homes, churches, schools and at a variety of other venues where guests can purchase BeadforLife jewelry, including, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, as well as loose beads, music CDs and note cards.
There is no cost to the party host and the organization sends everything he or she need to have a fun and successful party including: educational materials, Ugandan recipes, biographies of the beaders, African music CD, pricing, pre-paid return label, gift tags and an inspirational DVD.
“You can feel good, not guilty, about what you buy whether the jewelry is for you or for others as gifts,” says University of Notre Dame student, Erin Murphy who attended her first bead party in 2007 and has been involved with the organization ever since.
Each bead in the piece of BeadforLife jewelry is hand cut, rolled and totally unique. The process of taking a recycled poster or magazine page and making it into a beautiful, glossy piece of jewelry is one that takes time, hard work, attention to detail and a great amount of skill.
BeadforLife began in September of 2004 as a volunteer effort with the goal to support a small group of women in Uganda who were refugees from Northern Uganda’s brutal civil war. Torkin and the other two founders decided their first group would include 90 women. The group included women for the Acholi Quarters who had fled their homeland where rebels burned their villages, abducted children for soldiers or sex slaves, and tortured or killed thousands of adults. Each woman told of terror and brutality, but remained optimistic and determined to survive.
In December of 2004 BeadforLife was mentioned in a small article in O – The Oprah Magazine which generated interest across North America. People, like Chelsea and Erin, were anxious to partner with women in Uganda to help lift their families from poverty.
Chelsea has hosted numerous bead parties and became so involved with the organization that she traveled to Uganda last summer to visit with the workers and learn more about BeadforLife from the other perspective.
“I had seen how the whole administrative process worked on the American end, but it was incredible to see the process from start to finish. I got to meet many of the beaders, hear their personal stories, sit with them in their homes, and even learn how they rolled the beads.”
Since her visit to Uganda, Chelsea has continued to be involved with BeadforLife in Colorado, raising awareness and encouraging others to host parties.
“My experience with BeadforLife in Colorado has been amazing. It's been great to work with so many wonderful people who care a lot about the empowerment of women and poverty eradication” says Chelsea.
“It is neat to see how the profits from one bead party can really change a life” Erin adds.
Chelsea also loves getting people involved in wanting to alleviate poverty around the world and informing them about the political turmoil that has been happening in Northern Uganda for the past 20 years.
The turmoil began in 1971 when Idi Amin seized power over Uganda ruling the country with military force for the next decade. Amin’s rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans’ lives and devastated the economy. Yoweri Musevini is the current president of the African nation and has been in power since 1986. Since Musevini came into office, respect for human rights in Uganda had advanced significantly, but there is still conflict in the country, especially in the North due to opposing military forces. The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture and attacks on political freedom are still occurring. Because of this, organizations such as BeadforLife have come to aid citizens of Uganda.
Chelsea’s most memorable day from her trip to Uganda was visiting a village that BeadforLife completed for over 70 of the women. “I met around 10 of the beaders and each one invited me into their home, gave me some sort of a beaded present, and wanted to show all they had achieved because of BeadforLife. Not only were they thankful, but they were proud. Each person has their own job that goes into the process of making the beads, and each person's life has become exponentially better since they've joined the team.”
Learning how the organization was making a difference in these women’s lives and seeing the smiles on their faces when they talked about BeadforLife was inspiring to Chelsea to stay committed to the cause.
Her experience with BeadforLife has been incredibly moving. Chelsea’s favorite thing is walking around the University of Colorado campus and being able to say "Hey, nice beads" and knowing she’s made a difference.
Beadforlife hopes to help many more people leave poverty behind. For Torkin, the greatest reward from creating the organization is seeing the enthusiasm, appreciation and hopefulness of the beaders.
She says, “Its fun to gather together with a purpose and have a great product like the beautiful necklaces.” Spreading awareness of poverty and helping others in a fun and meaningful way is what makes BeadforLife so successful and rewarding for everyone.
-30-
By Megan Keany
December 15, 2008
University of Colorado senior, Chelsea Burns, is among tens of thousands of people in North America who have partnered with impoverished Ugandans to help combat extreme poverty.
During her sophomore year of college, Chelsea wanted to be a part of something related to Africa when her professor recommended attending an interest meeting regarding a student group called BeadforLife.
“I went to the interest meeting and right away I knew I wanted to get involved” says Chelsea. She spent the semester learning everything she could about the organization, all the ins and outs of how the non-profit was run, where Uganda is located, and what political and social events were occurring in the country.
Chelsea began hosting bead parties where jewelry made by Ugandan women is sold. The profit made is sent back to BeadforLife which invests the money into community development projects in Uganda. The income generated helps the beaders by providing them with medicine, housing, sustainable life skills and health services and education.
The organization is unique because it strives teach Ugandans how to work their way out of poverty forever. They focus on community development as opposed to other charity associations which help Africans with clothing, food and other necessities, but doesn’t teach them how to rebuild their lives and survive on their own.
“We try to lead with relationship between the beader and the women who buy their beads. There is an element of sharing stories and participating together to create a better world,” says one of the founders of BeadforLife, Torkin Wakefield.
Bead parties are held in homes, churches, schools and at a variety of other venues where guests can purchase BeadforLife jewelry, including, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, as well as loose beads, music CDs and note cards.
There is no cost to the party host and the organization sends everything he or she need to have a fun and successful party including: educational materials, Ugandan recipes, biographies of the beaders, African music CD, pricing, pre-paid return label, gift tags and an inspirational DVD.
“You can feel good, not guilty, about what you buy whether the jewelry is for you or for others as gifts,” says University of Notre Dame student, Erin Murphy who attended her first bead party in 2007 and has been involved with the organization ever since.
Each bead in the piece of BeadforLife jewelry is hand cut, rolled and totally unique. The process of taking a recycled poster or magazine page and making it into a beautiful, glossy piece of jewelry is one that takes time, hard work, attention to detail and a great amount of skill.
BeadforLife began in September of 2004 as a volunteer effort with the goal to support a small group of women in Uganda who were refugees from Northern Uganda’s brutal civil war. Torkin and the other two founders decided their first group would include 90 women. The group included women for the Acholi Quarters who had fled their homeland where rebels burned their villages, abducted children for soldiers or sex slaves, and tortured or killed thousands of adults. Each woman told of terror and brutality, but remained optimistic and determined to survive.
In December of 2004 BeadforLife was mentioned in a small article in O – The Oprah Magazine which generated interest across North America. People, like Chelsea and Erin, were anxious to partner with women in Uganda to help lift their families from poverty.
Chelsea has hosted numerous bead parties and became so involved with the organization that she traveled to Uganda last summer to visit with the workers and learn more about BeadforLife from the other perspective.
“I had seen how the whole administrative process worked on the American end, but it was incredible to see the process from start to finish. I got to meet many of the beaders, hear their personal stories, sit with them in their homes, and even learn how they rolled the beads.”
Since her visit to Uganda, Chelsea has continued to be involved with BeadforLife in Colorado, raising awareness and encouraging others to host parties.
“My experience with BeadforLife in Colorado has been amazing. It's been great to work with so many wonderful people who care a lot about the empowerment of women and poverty eradication” says Chelsea.
“It is neat to see how the profits from one bead party can really change a life” Erin adds.
Chelsea also loves getting people involved in wanting to alleviate poverty around the world and informing them about the political turmoil that has been happening in Northern Uganda for the past 20 years.
The turmoil began in 1971 when Idi Amin seized power over Uganda ruling the country with military force for the next decade. Amin’s rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans’ lives and devastated the economy. Yoweri Musevini is the current president of the African nation and has been in power since 1986. Since Musevini came into office, respect for human rights in Uganda had advanced significantly, but there is still conflict in the country, especially in the North due to opposing military forces. The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture and attacks on political freedom are still occurring. Because of this, organizations such as BeadforLife have come to aid citizens of Uganda.
Chelsea’s most memorable day from her trip to Uganda was visiting a village that BeadforLife completed for over 70 of the women. “I met around 10 of the beaders and each one invited me into their home, gave me some sort of a beaded present, and wanted to show all they had achieved because of BeadforLife. Not only were they thankful, but they were proud. Each person has their own job that goes into the process of making the beads, and each person's life has become exponentially better since they've joined the team.”
Learning how the organization was making a difference in these women’s lives and seeing the smiles on their faces when they talked about BeadforLife was inspiring to Chelsea to stay committed to the cause.
Her experience with BeadforLife has been incredibly moving. Chelsea’s favorite thing is walking around the University of Colorado campus and being able to say "Hey, nice beads" and knowing she’s made a difference.
Beadforlife hopes to help many more people leave poverty behind. For Torkin, the greatest reward from creating the organization is seeing the enthusiasm, appreciation and hopefulness of the beaders.
She says, “Its fun to gather together with a purpose and have a great product like the beautiful necklaces.” Spreading awareness of poverty and helping others in a fun and meaningful way is what makes BeadforLife so successful and rewarding for everyone.
-30-
Sunday, December 14, 2008
End of the Semester
The semester flew by! I have made progress with my final article and finished up the interviews and am working on the mini story which will focus on Bead for Life at HPU. I also got a few good interviews from people who have hosted and attended bead parties and from one of the organization's founders as well. I will be adding a video and more pictures and links tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Bead for Life
Megan Keany
December 9, 2008
Bead for Life
Can poverty really be eradicated one bead at a time? That is the slogan of BeadforLife, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished Africans in Uganda.
Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beaded jewelry which is then sold by concerned world citizens. The profits are returned to BeadforLife which invests the money into community development projects in Uganda. The income generated helps people work their way out of poverty by providing them with medicine, housing, sustainable life skills and health services and education.
In the United States, BeadforLife is based out of Boulder, CO. University of Colorado senior, Chelsea Burns, became involved with organization her sophomore year of college. She wanted to be a part of something related to Africa when her professor recommended attending an interest meeting regarding a student group called BeadforLife.
“I went to the interest meeting and right away I knew I wanted to get involved. I spent that semester learning everything I could about the organization, all the ins and outs of how the non-profit was run, where Uganda was, and what political and social events were occurring in the country,” says Chelsea.
BeadforLife began in September of 2004 as a volunteer effort with the goal to support a small group of women in Uganda who were refugees from Northern Uganda’s brutal civil war. The founders decided their first group would include 90 women. The group included women for the Acholi Quarters who had fled their homeland where rebels burned their villages, abducted children for soldiers or sex slaves, and tortured or killed thousands of adults. Each woman told of terror and brutality, but remained optimistic and determined to survive.
In December of 2004 BeadforLife was mentioned in a small article in O – The Oprah Magazine which generated interest across North America. People, like Chelsea, were anxious to partner with women in Uganda to help lift their families from poverty.
Chelsea hosted numerous bead parties and became so involved with the organization that she traveled to Uganda last summer to visit with the workers and learn more about BeadforLife from the other perspective.
“I had seen how the whole administrative process worked on the American end, but it was incredible to see the process from start to finish. I got to meet many of the beaders, hear their personal stories, sit with them in their homes, and even learn how they rolled the beads.”
Each bead in the piece of BeadforLife jewelry is hand cut, rolled and totally unique. The process of taking a recycled poster or magazine page and making it into a beautiful, glossy piece of jewelry is one that takes time, hard work, attention to detail and a great amount of skill.
The organization makes money by sending the beaded jewelry from Uganda to people in the United States who then host bead parties to sell the jewelry and return the profits to BeadforLife. BeadParties are held in homes, churches, schools and at a variety of other venues where guests can purchase BeadforLife jewelry, including, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, as well as loose beads, music CDs and note cards. There is no cost to the party host and the organization sends everything he or she need to have a fun and successful party including: educational materials, Ugandan recipes, biographies of the beaders, African music CD, pricing, pre-paid return label, gift tags and our inspirational DVD.
Since her visit to Uganda, Chelsea has continued to be involved with BeadforLife in Colorado, raising awareness and encouraging others to host parties. My experience with BeadforLife in Colorado has been amazing. It's been great to work with so many wonderful people who care a lot about the empowerment of women and poverty eradication” says Chelsea.
She also loves getting people involved in wanting to alleviate poverty around the world and informing them about the political turmoil that has been happening in Northern Uganda for the past 20 years.
The turmoil began in 1971 when Idi Amin seized power over Uganda ruling the country with military force for the next decade. Amin’s rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans’ lives and devastated the economy. Yoweri Musevini is the current president of the African nation and has been in power since 1986. Since Musevini came into office, respect for human rights in Uganda had advanced significantly, but there is still conflict in the country, especially in the North due to opposing military forces. The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture and attacks on political freedom are still occurring.
Because of this, organizations such as BeadforLife have come to aid citizens of Uganda. BeadforLife is unique because the organization strives to teach the beaders how to work their way out of poverty forever. They focus on community development as opposed to other charity associations which help Ugandans with clothing, food and other necessities, but doesn’t teach them how to rebuild their lives and survive on their own.
Chelsea’s most memorable day from her trip to Uganda was visiting a village that BeadforLife completed for over 70 of the women. “I met around 10 of the beaders and each one invited me into their home, gave me some sort of a beaded present, and wanted to show all they had achieved because of BeadforLife. Not only were they thankful, but they were proud. I got to meet everyone from a paper cutter to a group leader. Each person has their own job that some how goes into the process of making the beads, and each person's life has become exponentially better since they've joined the team.”
Learning how the organization was making a difference in these women’s lives and seeing the smiles on their faces when they talked about BeadforLife was inspiring to Chelsea to stay committed to the cause.
Her experience with BeadforLife has been incredibly inspiring. Chelsea’s favorite thing is walking around the University of Colorado campus and being able to say "Hey, nice beads" and knowing she’s made a difference.
-30-
December 9, 2008
Bead for Life
Can poverty really be eradicated one bead at a time? That is the slogan of BeadforLife, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished Africans in Uganda.
Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beaded jewelry which is then sold by concerned world citizens. The profits are returned to BeadforLife which invests the money into community development projects in Uganda. The income generated helps people work their way out of poverty by providing them with medicine, housing, sustainable life skills and health services and education.
In the United States, BeadforLife is based out of Boulder, CO. University of Colorado senior, Chelsea Burns, became involved with organization her sophomore year of college. She wanted to be a part of something related to Africa when her professor recommended attending an interest meeting regarding a student group called BeadforLife.
“I went to the interest meeting and right away I knew I wanted to get involved. I spent that semester learning everything I could about the organization, all the ins and outs of how the non-profit was run, where Uganda was, and what political and social events were occurring in the country,” says Chelsea.
BeadforLife began in September of 2004 as a volunteer effort with the goal to support a small group of women in Uganda who were refugees from Northern Uganda’s brutal civil war. The founders decided their first group would include 90 women. The group included women for the Acholi Quarters who had fled their homeland where rebels burned their villages, abducted children for soldiers or sex slaves, and tortured or killed thousands of adults. Each woman told of terror and brutality, but remained optimistic and determined to survive.
In December of 2004 BeadforLife was mentioned in a small article in O – The Oprah Magazine which generated interest across North America. People, like Chelsea, were anxious to partner with women in Uganda to help lift their families from poverty.
Chelsea hosted numerous bead parties and became so involved with the organization that she traveled to Uganda last summer to visit with the workers and learn more about BeadforLife from the other perspective.
“I had seen how the whole administrative process worked on the American end, but it was incredible to see the process from start to finish. I got to meet many of the beaders, hear their personal stories, sit with them in their homes, and even learn how they rolled the beads.”
Each bead in the piece of BeadforLife jewelry is hand cut, rolled and totally unique. The process of taking a recycled poster or magazine page and making it into a beautiful, glossy piece of jewelry is one that takes time, hard work, attention to detail and a great amount of skill.
The organization makes money by sending the beaded jewelry from Uganda to people in the United States who then host bead parties to sell the jewelry and return the profits to BeadforLife. BeadParties are held in homes, churches, schools and at a variety of other venues where guests can purchase BeadforLife jewelry, including, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, as well as loose beads, music CDs and note cards. There is no cost to the party host and the organization sends everything he or she need to have a fun and successful party including: educational materials, Ugandan recipes, biographies of the beaders, African music CD, pricing, pre-paid return label, gift tags and our inspirational DVD.
Since her visit to Uganda, Chelsea has continued to be involved with BeadforLife in Colorado, raising awareness and encouraging others to host parties. My experience with BeadforLife in Colorado has been amazing. It's been great to work with so many wonderful people who care a lot about the empowerment of women and poverty eradication” says Chelsea.
She also loves getting people involved in wanting to alleviate poverty around the world and informing them about the political turmoil that has been happening in Northern Uganda for the past 20 years.
The turmoil began in 1971 when Idi Amin seized power over Uganda ruling the country with military force for the next decade. Amin’s rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans’ lives and devastated the economy. Yoweri Musevini is the current president of the African nation and has been in power since 1986. Since Musevini came into office, respect for human rights in Uganda had advanced significantly, but there is still conflict in the country, especially in the North due to opposing military forces. The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture and attacks on political freedom are still occurring.
Because of this, organizations such as BeadforLife have come to aid citizens of Uganda. BeadforLife is unique because the organization strives to teach the beaders how to work their way out of poverty forever. They focus on community development as opposed to other charity associations which help Ugandans with clothing, food and other necessities, but doesn’t teach them how to rebuild their lives and survive on their own.
Chelsea’s most memorable day from her trip to Uganda was visiting a village that BeadforLife completed for over 70 of the women. “I met around 10 of the beaders and each one invited me into their home, gave me some sort of a beaded present, and wanted to show all they had achieved because of BeadforLife. Not only were they thankful, but they were proud. I got to meet everyone from a paper cutter to a group leader. Each person has their own job that some how goes into the process of making the beads, and each person's life has become exponentially better since they've joined the team.”
Learning how the organization was making a difference in these women’s lives and seeing the smiles on their faces when they talked about BeadforLife was inspiring to Chelsea to stay committed to the cause.
Her experience with BeadforLife has been incredibly inspiring. Chelsea’s favorite thing is walking around the University of Colorado campus and being able to say "Hey, nice beads" and knowing she’s made a difference.
-30-
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Dogs are a girls' best friend
Megan Keany
November 25, 2008
Dogs are a girls’ best friend
There is a saying that dog is man’s best friend, and Shanah Fahey is a true believer of that.
When Shanah was 20 years old, she was visiting her friend Brittany in Richmond for a weekend of summer fun. She had really wanted a puppy and when she found out she was living in an apartment for her junior year of college, she had an even bigger motive.
“I’m a very impulsive person. When I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it… which can be good and can be bad,” says Shanah.
With her long blonde hair and acrylic nails, Shanah looks like she belongs in Los Angeles at the Playboy Mansion, but she is actually aspiring to go to law school and currently has a job working for a senator in Virginia.
Shanah is a charitable person and always helps others in need, so it is no surprise that she went to the SPCA in Richmond to look for a dog to adopt. Her childhood friend Brittany joined her on the search. As they walked through the putrid hallways lined with cages they saw many dogs, looking miserable as if they were in an orphanage or jail.
The animal shelter was deafening from the loud barks of the dogs. “You just feel so bad for them and their living conditions. My heart ached for all of them and I wish that I could’ve taken all the animals home that day,” Shanah recalls.
She could only choose one dog and when Shanah got to Adyson’s cage, she remembers her sweet eyes and beautiful golden coat. Adyson was 3 months old and in Shanah’s opinion, the cutest dog in the shelter.
“It was love at first sight,” Shanah says.
Although she had wanted a dog, buying Adyson was a spur of the moment thing. “My mom and dad weren’t very happy and cut me of financially for a few weeks,” Shanah says.
Now, 3 years later Shanah’s parents love the 60 pound German Shepard, lab mix and refer to her as their “grand-dog.” Shanah believes that if Adyson could speak she would call them “Mimi” and “Popi.”
Shanah’s parents not only love Adyson, but are grateful because the dog saved Shanah and her boyfriends’ lives last year from a fire.
On October 8, 2007 Shanah was living in an apartment with her boyfriend James and Adyson when at 4:30 a.m. the dog jumped on the bed and woke the couple up.
“It was very unusual because Adyson was potty-trained and I wondered what she could possibly want so early in the morning,” Shanah says of the incident.
Shanah tried to quiet Adyson but to no avail. She walked from the bedroom into the living room and saw that their sliding glass door which connected to a porch was glowing an eerie orange and red color.
“My stomach dropped and I ran in the room to get my boyfriend James,” Shanah says.
The couple and Adyson exited the apartment just in time. Moments after they got out, the glass door imploded and their apartment burned to the ground. The couple lost everything.
Shanah and James feel as though Adyson had an instinct that something was wrong.
“She saved our lives,” Shanah says.
If Adyson hadn’t woken Shanah and James on that early fall morning, who knows what would’ve happened. “It was scary because the fire started on the porch outside, so no alarms went off,” Shanah says.
Although Shanah used to have nightmares from the fire and slept with a nightlight, she isn’t scared anymore, but says that Adyson is.
“My sister lit a candle the other day you could tell Adyson was nervous. It is so sad because she is so innocent and doesn’t know.”
The bond between Adyson and Shanah has become closer because of the fire and Shanah says her favorite part of having Adyson, who she commonly refers to as “Addypoo,” is that she loves her unconditionally and sleeps with her at night which makes Shanah feel safe.
Whenever Shanah is sad, Adyson will sit on her lap and lick her face.
“She is my best friend. I tell her everything and she tells me everything too, like when she warned me about the fire. I am so glad to have Adyson in my life.”
-30-
November 25, 2008
Dogs are a girls’ best friend
There is a saying that dog is man’s best friend, and Shanah Fahey is a true believer of that.
When Shanah was 20 years old, she was visiting her friend Brittany in Richmond for a weekend of summer fun. She had really wanted a puppy and when she found out she was living in an apartment for her junior year of college, she had an even bigger motive.
“I’m a very impulsive person. When I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it… which can be good and can be bad,” says Shanah.
With her long blonde hair and acrylic nails, Shanah looks like she belongs in Los Angeles at the Playboy Mansion, but she is actually aspiring to go to law school and currently has a job working for a senator in Virginia.
Shanah is a charitable person and always helps others in need, so it is no surprise that she went to the SPCA in Richmond to look for a dog to adopt. Her childhood friend Brittany joined her on the search. As they walked through the putrid hallways lined with cages they saw many dogs, looking miserable as if they were in an orphanage or jail.
The animal shelter was deafening from the loud barks of the dogs. “You just feel so bad for them and their living conditions. My heart ached for all of them and I wish that I could’ve taken all the animals home that day,” Shanah recalls.
She could only choose one dog and when Shanah got to Adyson’s cage, she remembers her sweet eyes and beautiful golden coat. Adyson was 3 months old and in Shanah’s opinion, the cutest dog in the shelter.
“It was love at first sight,” Shanah says.
Although she had wanted a dog, buying Adyson was a spur of the moment thing. “My mom and dad weren’t very happy and cut me of financially for a few weeks,” Shanah says.
Now, 3 years later Shanah’s parents love the 60 pound German Shepard, lab mix and refer to her as their “grand-dog.” Shanah believes that if Adyson could speak she would call them “Mimi” and “Popi.”
Shanah’s parents not only love Adyson, but are grateful because the dog saved Shanah and her boyfriends’ lives last year from a fire.
On October 8, 2007 Shanah was living in an apartment with her boyfriend James and Adyson when at 4:30 a.m. the dog jumped on the bed and woke the couple up.
“It was very unusual because Adyson was potty-trained and I wondered what she could possibly want so early in the morning,” Shanah says of the incident.
Shanah tried to quiet Adyson but to no avail. She walked from the bedroom into the living room and saw that their sliding glass door which connected to a porch was glowing an eerie orange and red color.
“My stomach dropped and I ran in the room to get my boyfriend James,” Shanah says.
The couple and Adyson exited the apartment just in time. Moments after they got out, the glass door imploded and their apartment burned to the ground. The couple lost everything.
Shanah and James feel as though Adyson had an instinct that something was wrong.
“She saved our lives,” Shanah says.
If Adyson hadn’t woken Shanah and James on that early fall morning, who knows what would’ve happened. “It was scary because the fire started on the porch outside, so no alarms went off,” Shanah says.
Although Shanah used to have nightmares from the fire and slept with a nightlight, she isn’t scared anymore, but says that Adyson is.
“My sister lit a candle the other day you could tell Adyson was nervous. It is so sad because she is so innocent and doesn’t know.”
The bond between Adyson and Shanah has become closer because of the fire and Shanah says her favorite part of having Adyson, who she commonly refers to as “Addypoo,” is that she loves her unconditionally and sleeps with her at night which makes Shanah feel safe.
Whenever Shanah is sad, Adyson will sit on her lap and lick her face.
“She is my best friend. I tell her everything and she tells me everything too, like when she warned me about the fire. I am so glad to have Adyson in my life.”
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