Today’s segment was brought to you by the Humane Society of West Michigan, Red Project and Thought Design. A truly awesome group, as usual. I mean, you should expect extraordinary from us, right?
Shelley and I are huge animal lovers, and we support those organizations in town that are educating on, caring for and adopting out these furry blessings. Yes, I said blessings. The Humane Society of West Michigan shared some pretty staggering statistic about our feline population.
- Most female cats can have kittens at the age of five months.
- Just one female cat can produce over 2,000 kittens in 4 years. Just by spaying one female cat, you can save hundreds of lives, because those hundreds of kittens she would have had would have taken the homes of other, already existing animals.
- Most male cats can father kittens at the age of six months.
- Cats can continue to have kittens their entire lives—there is no point at which they become infertile.
- 6-8 million cats come in to shelters across America each year. There are not enough homes. This does not count the animals that are still out there, abandoned on the streets.
- It is so important to not support “free kittens.” This only keeps the problem going. Adopt from a shelter, and you ensure that you are not contributing to the nationwide problem, but rather helping to rectify it.
- There are seven kittens born for every one human born.
- 1 in 5 of these kittens find a home. The rest are abandoned in shelters or on the street.
So as Bob Barker would say – Don’t forget to spay and neuter your pets!
We always love having the Grand Rapids Red Project. They are an HIV/AIDS organization dedicated to educating, advocating and raising money to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in our community. Did you know that there are an estimated 1,110 people living with HIV/AIDS in Kent County. Approximately 270 of these people do not know they have it. About 25% of people living with HIV in Kent County are unaware of their status. These are generally the people who spread the virus to others. Talk to your partners about HIV/AIDS and risk reduction options, and get tested.
Red Project will be testing at Diversions nightclub on Saturday, June 29th 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Everyone who tests at Red Project for testing day will receive an incentive and free t-shirt. Get tested, and know your status!
Also, save the date for the upcoming AIDSWalk on Saturday, September 14th. Come out and support their life saving work and give to The Grand Rapids Red Project. Without the community’s support their work would not be possible, and they rely on the community to sustain life saving programming. Like them on Facebook to find out more details.
Want to know what else is super cool and in our community?
Thought Design Learning Studios offers holistic, diverse learning experiences to improve thinking and brain health. Their learning studio on the Rogue River in Rockford has an inspiring learning lab, a beautiful culinary space and a yoga studio. They are often described as a fitness center for the mind: giving space and opportunities for learning, developing and having fun!
Seriously, this space is AWESOME and you can hold team-building and strategic planning. We definitely encourage you to check them out. Like them on Facebook.
Interested in telling your story on Your Biz Your Town? Get a hold of us at *@*******gn.com“>ki*@*******gn.com.
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