At Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Their dedication and selflessness are the driving force behind every success we achieve. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month this April, let’s take a moment to honor these incredible individuals who pour their hearts into supporting our mission of healing Service Members and Veterans through our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) programs. Join us in expressing our deepest gratitude for their unwavering commitment and boundless compassion.

Here’s a snapshot of the impact volunteers made for WCC in 2023.

• A total of 623 volunteers assisted WCC across 15 program sites.
• 1,310 Veterans served through 10,077 hours of animal-assisted therapy, which more than doubled the hours of animal-assisted therapy provided to Veterans and their military family members from 2022.
• Volunteers spent a total of 128,684 hours helping; volunteer roles include puppy parents, sitters, whelping, admin, facilities, and transportation.
• Donated volunteer time totals to an estimated value of $3,964,951 (based on $31.80 per hour) to WCC.

We are also proud to share that WCC volunteers received 175 Presidential Service Awards for their commitment in 2023.

What motivates them? Here’s what our volunteers have shared with us about their reasons for supporting WCC.

“Volunteering is important to me because I know that there is a dog who depends on me to give her the best training and love, and in turn, I know there is a long list of people who I have never met, who depend on volunteers to help them pair with their future dog,” shared Ayden Naguib, WCC puppy raiser.

“Volunteering at WCC is important because it is a way for me to honor my daughter’s life of service and her sacrifice by helping to train amazing dogs for Veterans who need them,” said Doreen Cappelaere, Gold Star Mother and WCC puppy raiser & puppy sitter.

“We owe a debt to those who’ve faithfully served our country. Volunteering with WCC allows me to give back to our Veterans and their families and it also makes me happy!” said Lynn Manuel, WCC puppy raiser.

“Supporting my fellow Veterans has become even more important to me than my time in service. I see so many of my friends and family who are Veterans struggle, and I know there are millions of more Veterans who need help, and being able to train service dogs to help Veterans just makes such an impact,” shared Rob Morris, WCC puppy raiser.

“So many lives can be touched and affected positively by just one dog. I also have family that has served and is serving—this organization is hope,” said Renee Norman, WCC puppy sitter and whelping volunteer.

“I love the mission and dogs are the bestest,” shared Katherine Grady, WCC puppy raiser.

If you have loved your volunteer experience, please continue to share with friends and family and maybe invite one more to join our pack.

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