沃马克和柯达，一只9个月大的狗 that is one of many beautiful animals available for adoption at the Humane Society of Memphis & 谢尔比县.
马修·沃马克09年 grew up in 德国town, TN before graduating from Rhodes with a major in 业务 政府. 他目前担任孟菲斯人道协会的运营和财务总监, a nonprofit organization which strives to save the lives of abused and neglected animals across Memphis and 谢尔比县, 在他们被慈爱的家庭收养之前，给他们一个恢复的空间. 在下面的对话中, Womack discusses his time at Rhodes and the Humane Society’s work within the local community.
安娜-麦康奈尔: How did you decide to attend 正规博彩十大网站排名学院, and how was your experience as a student here?
马修·沃麦克: 在考虑上大学的时候, 我在看几所较大的州立学校, as well as a handful of smaller colleges that could provide me an opportunity to play football. 离家近一点, 做运动, and the beauty of the campus were all major factors in my decision to attend 正规博彩十大网站排名学院. 我在罗兹有一段很棒的经历. 我喜欢住在市中心，喜欢成为一个小而紧密的社区的一部分.
AM: What was your major and were you involved with any extracurriculars outside the classroom?
MW: 我的专业是工商管理, 所以我选了很多课程，包括会计, 市场营销, 和金融. 大一那年，我参加了足球队, 在正规博彩十大网站排名的四年里，他都是西格玛·阿尔法·爱扑塞隆兄弟会的成员. 也, the summer before my senior year I completed a Maymester at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. John Planchon教授，P ' 95, P’98, P ' 02领导了这个项目, 这是我一生中最美好的经历之一. We spent about four weeks in and around Belgium studying 市场营销 techniques of luxury goods including diamonds, 巧克力, 和香槟. On the weekends we had free time and were able to go out and explore other countries around Europe including France, 英格兰, 和荷兰.
最好的朋友参孙和维多
AM你认为成为孟菲斯社区的一员意味着什么?
MW: 成为孟菲斯社区的一员意味着拥抱这个城市的多样性, 为孟菲斯灰熊队加油, 并参与许多可用的慈善机会.
AM: 你最喜欢孟菲斯什么?
MW: My favorite thing about Memphis is the mixture of big-city opportunities while also providing an amazing feeling of a small-town community.
AM: 动物在你的生活中扮演了怎样的角色, 无论是现在还是在你为孟菲斯人道协会工作之前?
MW: 我来自一个养宠物的家庭, 所以我一生都很享受他们的陪伴. 2008年，我在罗兹的最后一年, a good friend came across a stray puppy digging through trash behind a bar on Beale Street. 就几天, we shared the responsibility of caring for the puppy while the other person was in class and did research on what organizations might be able to take on an animal in need. 我们很快发现，大多数动物福利组织都捉襟见肘, 我觉得我能为这只小狗提供最好的家. I named him Samson and he is now a 13-year-old with lots of gray hairs that loves to go on long walks and sleep for most of the day. 2011年，我开始在孟菲斯动物保护协会工作 & 谢尔比县 and was compelled to add a second member to my dog family shortly after in 2012. 他的名字叫维托. 它们是很棒的伴侣，每天都给予无条件的爱.
AM: 是什么吸引你来孟菲斯动物保护协会的? 他们的使命最吸引你的是什么?
MW: 孟菲斯动物保护协会 & 谢尔比县 provided me with an opportunity to do many things within their organization, 同时直接与社区合作. Many people think that our work consists of dealing exclusively with animals but interacting with people and providing them support and knowledge is just as important as our hands-on work with animals. The Humane Society’s mission allows us all to promote love and compassion towards animals while interacting with Memphians that share those same feelings. 不同之处在于，并非所有孟菲斯人都能获得基本的兽医护理. The joy that we see when a pet owner is able to provide for one of the furry members of their family is the most appealing part of the mission!
沃马克和里奇·埃斯奎维尔, co-owner of Meddlesome Brewing Company during a recent collaboration that had a special beer release with adoptable animals on the label.
AM: 作为孟菲斯人道协会的运营和财务总监, 你的工作日通常是怎样的?
MW: One of my favorite parts about the Humane Society is that new things are happening all the time. 尽管我已经在那里工作了10多年, 我经常看到和学习新的东西. 在典型的一天里, 我正在仔细检查发票并向供应商付款, 总账分录, 检查工资, 把我们支持者的捐款存起来, and giving the Executive Director and the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors major updates to our overall financial situation.
AM: 动物保护协会的资金从哪里来, 该组织如何利用这笔资金?
MW: The primary source of our funding has always been individual donors from within our Memphis community. The organization utilizes that funding to provide a safe-haven for animals where we can take in sick, 受伤的, 虐待动物, 给他们所需的医疗护理，最终为他们找到一个新的永远的家. We also utilize our funding to provide veterinary care to low-income pet owners so that everyone in the Memphis community can take pride in the level of care they are providing to their pets. 随着我们的发展, we hope to utilize other avenues of funding to increase our ability to provide Memphians with helpful resources for their pets.
AM: Covid-19是否改变了您处理或理解动物工作的方式?
MW: I think Covid-19 really accelerated the need for support within the animal welfare community. 多年来，孟菲斯一直致力于减少流浪狗的数量, 受伤的 and abused animal population and a major part of that fight is providing pet-owners with affordable services for spay and neuter and basic veterinary care. Covid-19 has increased the number of pet-owners that need to utilize affordable veterinary services.
AM: How can current students and Memphis community members who are interested in volunteering with the Humane Society become involved?
MW: 如果你有兴趣在孟菲斯动物保护协会做志愿者 & 谢尔比县，有很多机会. We are always looking for volunteers to be trained and participate in our Dog Walking program (ages 18 and up) and our Cat Care program (ages 16 and up), 哪一家一周七天营业, 一年365天. 寄养计划也很受欢迎, 因为我们需要安静, 爱的, and safe homes for many animals (especially puppies and kittens) that are too young or ill to be housed at our facility. Fostering also provides intimate human interaction to animals that have lacked that for most of their lives. We also have several events throughout the year that need volunteers to help them run smoothly-- from set-up at the beginning, 事件的执行, 然后在最后分解. One of the best parts about the organization is that no matter your interest or skill level, as long as you love animals and are willing to lend a hand you can find an amazing opportunity to give back. 志愿者申请可以在网站上找到 www.memphishumane.org/become-a-volunteer/.
22岁的安娜-麦康奈尔是英语和戏剧专业的学生, 正规博彩十大网站排名戏剧协会主席, 以及发展通讯RSA.
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