Walpole High School’s Animal Shelter Club, also known as the Student Humane Society, is one of the most obscure clubs being run in the high school. Though it is no longer funded by the school, librarian Mrs. Deborah Jordan gathers her small group of students to benefit the local animal shelters using her own time and money. Mrs. Jordan has been heading this club for about seven years now, and a funding cut is not going to cease her love for animals any time soon. Mrs. Jordan says, “when the school cuts funding, but the teachers run a club anyway, it sends a message to the school that the teachers are dedicated, which I definitely am to my club.”
Though the group is no longer an official organization, there is still a small group of students interested in participating. An avid member of this small group is sophomore Alexa DeMarco. DeMarco has been selling soda can tab bracelets to benefit the Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary in Norton, which rescues abused or neglected animals. For every five dollar bracelet sold, one dollar is donated to the shelter. DeMarco says that these bracelets are “something [she] likes to do as a hobby, which was turned into a good deed.” These bracelets can be purchased in the library by anyone who wishes to buy one. When she can attain pink gimp, Demarco hopes to create bracelets of which the proceeds will go to the Susan G Komen Foundation for breast cancer. Students have also been helping out the Animal Shelter Club by selling chocolates from home. Of these students, freshman Danielle Cotton has raised the most, with over one hundred fifty dollars so far.
To continue to better local animal shelters, DeMarco and Jordan plan to set up a stand at the school play for baked goods and bracelets. DeMarco also intends to auction off a belt made of soda can tabs at the play. Mrs. Jordan encourages students of all grades to join her in the betterment of local sheltered animals because “shelters rely on the community for everything and they need as much help as they can get.