When can I sign up for volunteer orientation?
We’re pumped that you want to volunteer with us. Volunteer orientations are on hold until Spring 2017.
Why? We started ‘The Milers back in 2010 and we had envisioned a traditional running club. (You know, you meet a bunch of runners and go for a run. But we’d be different because we’d swing by a shelter and pick up an adoptable dog.) The idea really caught on, and soon we were training runners to go out on solo runs at three different shelters. We trained over 600 volunteer runners to run with shelter dogs in just a few years. Which was awesome!
And then we added a rescue component and we started saving lives directly via a network of foster homes. (Saving lives directly had been our goal for years.) We also launched The Rescue Run 5k to support area shelters and educate the public about rescue. The race is celebrating it’s 4th year in 2016 and has won awards such as “Best of Philly.” (Have you registered yet? What are you waiting for?)
People started saying, “When are you going to expand to other shelters?” and “We want more opportunities to volunteer” and “Host more group runs please!” But, as an all-volunteer org, we didn’t have the structure to expand beyond what we were doing. We really are a grassroots-based organization and we’re proud of our humble beginnings. However, it became clear that we needed to transition into a more formal non-profit to better serve our volunteers and foster families.
You can basically file all of this under "Good Problems to Have." Our program is SO popular, it pretty much outgrew the systems we had in place. So, we're organizing and reorganizing. Milers 2.0 will be even better.
In Spring 2016 we started an organizational planning process to solidify our board of directors, refresh and revitalize our committees and take The Monster Milers to the next level. When we started the strategic planning process, we pulled back on new volunteer orientations so we could focus all of our effort where it was needed most.
So you still want to get involved? AWESOME! Here are some ways you can really help our organization, prior to formal training in 2017:
Sign up for The Rescue Run 5K on September 25th. This race literally funds our organization 365 days a year. We don’t do traditional “fundraisers” or “mail outs.” The RR5k keeps our volunteer and rescue efforts funded.
Come out to a Group Run! We’ll be holding them throughout the Fall / Winter. Come meet some Milers, meet a few dogs and have fun! The only difference is you won’t go out solo, but you’ll still get to meet a dog and get to know some of the shelters we work with. Check the Events Calendar for upcoming runs.
Check the Events Calendar for Happy Hours or other social gatherings. Come on out and get social!
Follow us on Facebook and join our newsletter list. People who are following us will be the FIRST to know about upcoming orientations in Spring 2017.
