one by one®: Lulu’s Locker Rescue
Like so many like-minded organizations, the team at Lulu’s Locker Rescue works hard to make an impact without an abundance of resources. The Frankfort, Illinois, animal rescue focuses on dogs and cats who are often overlooked—whether due to their color, age, medical status or the community they’re from. “We’re committed to the protection of the misjudged and wrongly stereotyped through compassion and respect we believe both animals and humans deserve,” said Lucy Pigati, director of operations.
Small team, big heart
Lulu’s Locker Rescue, founded in 2011, operates almost entirely through volunteer efforts. Each year, the organization rescues or facilitates adoptions for 80 to 130 animals. Dedicated volunteers transport animals, provide foster care, process applications, find new homes and manage fundraising activities, making the organization’s work possible.
Much-deserved volunteer thank-you gifts
Pigati used a one by one grant to purchase volunteer thank-you gifts. At a spring luncheon, about a dozen members of the Lulu’s Locker Rescue family were given a zippered pouch and collapsable water bottle as a token of appreciation. “We are a very small group and when you’re small, you have to think about how you can best use every single dollar,” she said. “It’s situations like this—where even though showing your volunteers they’re valued is important‑—that often get pushed down the priority list.”
Pigati said the helpers are so committed to the cause they often don’t want anything in return. They’d rather those resources go to helping more animals. The one by one grant worked out wonderfully, she said, because it was awarded specifically to show appreciation.
“This really was a perfect situation for thanking volunteers without making them feel guilty,” Pigati said. “This is something we wouldn’t have been able to do without the grant.”
A note from Cheryl
Lulu’s Locker Rescue is a special organization working hard to find homes for often overlooked dogs and cats. 4imprint was thrilled to help provide volunteer thank-you gifts so the nonprofit could show appreciation for its team. If you’re interested in a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.