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CAROLYNE FILSINGER and SANDY ZIMMER

Filsingers and Zimmers: Nine years with Project POOCH

CAROLYNE FILSINGER and SANDY ZIMMER are sisters, and volunteering for POOCH with their husbands, GARY FILSINGER and JERRY ZIMMER is a family affair.

Sandy Zimmer and her hus-band Jerry became POOCH volunteers nine years ago after reading an article in the Canby Herald. She thought the program “...seemed like the perfect solution to at least two problems—dogs without good homes and young men needing some motivation and direction.” According to Carolyne, Sandy then recruited the Filsingers for POOCH.

The couples also have many other interests, like clearing barbed wire in the Klamath Wildlife Refuge, geo-caching, geneology, caving, canoeing, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and grandparenting. Sandy even kick boxes, and Carolyne serves on the Clackamas County Extension Service Advisory Board and volunteers at two schools. Sandy has decided to sell her Christmas ornament business of 31 years, The Doughworks, and Carolyne recently retired from the Oregon City School District.

In addition to all their other activities, the Filsingers and Zimmers have been regular volunteers at Project POOCH, bringing a positive outlook, serving as role models, and providing opportunities for the youths to practice their social skills by conversing with and entertaining their adult guests appropriately.

For the last eight years, they have brought pumpkins and art supplies for the youth to decorate for Halloween.

Quilt made for Project POOCH youth when they are released from corrections.

As youths near the end of their time at MacLaren, Carolyne, Sandy, and ALBERNA LANZ begin sewing a personalized quilt for the youths to take with them when they return the community. The women recognize that although the youths eagerly anticipate leaving corrections, they also face major adjustments and challenges. Carolyne wants the handmade quilt to be a “reminder of our support.” She says, “I am trying to recruit more people to make quilts so that we are assured of having one each time a youth completes his stay at the facility.”

Now that she will be retiring from her own business, Sandy has offered to work with the POOCH youth who aspire to own and run businesses themselves. She says, “Over all of those years, you do pick up some tips...so I may be able to help them avoid some of the pitfalls.”

Asked why the two families continue to volunteer after all these years, Carolyne explains, “It’s wonderful to be a part of a program that successfully helps the youth and the dogs and that’s what brings us back!”