We find it much more rewarding to give than to receive, and we’re continuing a holiday tradition by donating all of our “Secret Santa” funds this season to the Stevens-Swan Humane Society of Oneida County. Like many businesses, we traditionally exchanged gifts between co-workers during the holidays. Last year one of our employees, Erinn Riley, suggested we collectively give our gift money to a local cause instead, and offered Stevens-Swan as a natural choice.

We love dogs. In case you couldn’t already tell, check out our employee profiles. Stop by our Agency on any given day, and you’re likely to be greeted by one of our employees’ dogs, regular visitors to the office. We’re like one big family here, and our dogs consider this one of their homes. So when we were looking for a local cause to support, we naturally thought of the Humane Society.

We know many people have had a difficult year, so animal shelters are receiving more unwanted pets and fewer donations. We consider our dogs members of our own families, so we want to make sure our friends at Stevens-Swan aren’t forgotten. We hope this inspires you to give to (and even better, visit) the Stevens-Swan Humane Society, or another charity of your choice, this holiday season.

This year, we’re making our donation in memory of my 12-year-old lab Hannah (pictured), who passed away after many years at my side and as a friend of all of us at the Agency.

The Stevens-Swan Humane Society (SSHS) of Oneida County is a private nonprofit organization that provides a safe haven to all domestic pets that must be surrendered, are stray, abandoned, homeless, abused or injured. They serve as a shelter for nearly 5,000 animals each year.

They’re located on Horatio St. north of Riverside Center, can be reached by phone at 315-738-4357. More information is available on their website at www.stevens-swan.org