PVMA Keystone Veterinarian Winter 2021 - 6

Team Talk
By Christine Gacono, CMP

As a staff member of Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical
Association and Animal Care PA (ACPA) for the past 18 years,
I've seen many changes in the operation of the organizations.
When I first began in 2003, ACPA, then known as the
Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation (PVF), solely existed to
raise funds and provide scholarships to veterinary students.
While that mission was important and necessary, the Board
members of PVF felt a need to directly impact the lives of
animals, and The Last Chance (TLC) Program was born. This
program provides grants to participating practices to cover the
cost of care for animals that would otherwise be euthanized or
surrendered due to financial limitations.
In addition, Henry's Helping Paws Program was launched in
2016 in partnership with Meals on Wheels of Chester County
and Senator Andy Dinniman. Henry's Helping Paws provides pet
food and routine veterinary care to pets of senior citizens who
demonstrate financial need in Chester County. The hope is to
expand this program throughout the Commonwealth beginning
in 2021. Also, veterinary and veterinary technology student

scholarships still continue to be an important focus for the
organization and a record number of applications we received
in 2020. Please take a few minutes to read the article on page
22 for more information about the accomplishments of ACPA
over the past year.
While utilization of our programs increased during the past
year, donations and financial support declined. Because
this has been a challenging time for everyone, our funds are
critically low, and we are relying heavily on donations, during
our " Season of Giving " to keep up with the demand for our
community-based programs well into the new year.
I am hoping we can count on your support to help us help
those in need through these important programs. Our Season
of Giving campaign is underway. Our goal is to raise $20,000
between now and January 31, 2021. If every Member donated
$50, ACPA would be fully funded to operate throughout 2021.
Can we count on you?

About Christine Gacono, CMP: She has been a part of Animal Care PA for 18 years and currently serves as its
administrator, assisting with the management of the organization's programs and day-to-day operations.
Christine lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, her childhood hometown, with her husband, Kris, and 3 children,
Andrew, Ellie, and Devin. She's also a dog mom to 3 dachshunds, Boots, Paco, and Daisy. She enjoys
spending time with friends and family, working in her sister-in-law's bakery on weekends, hiking, kayaking,
and heading to Cape May, New Jersey (or any beach!) every chance she gets.

6 | Keystone Veterinarian

PVMA Keystone Veterinarian Winter 2021

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