There is no time like the present to resurrect “The Paw Print,” our organization’s blog. The last nine months have been anything but “business as usual.” Our small but mighty team has learned the lessons we all have had to learn and that is to pivot and establish new structure and routine in our daily lives. It is extremely challenging for people with disabilities, to navigate the “new normal” when the structure of daily living suddenly shifts or is pulled out from under them. We’ve all had to find a way to establish new routines, balance telework, virtual learning, estrangement from family and friends, social distancing and most important, continue to stay hopeful and positive each and every day.

In mid-March 2020, our team baked the last batch of dough. What seemed like a temporary hiatus at the time, who could have envisioned that nine long months would pass, and yet, here we all are seemingly stuck in a holding pattern waiting for light at the end of the tunnel.

I miss my old life that suddenly changed nine months ago. I miss seeing my baking crew twice a week at the kitchen at St. Luke’s. I miss seeing our selling crew who are the face of our mission, our “why.” I miss seeing Ms. Sue in the church office and the smell of ginger baking and permeating through the day school and vestibule of the church. I miss seeing the culinary arts students at Pulley Career Center during dough pick up or ingredient drop off. I’ve also learned a lot about patience, how to pivot, and to set our organization up to bounce forward once we are able to gather again.

Despite our separation, we have found ways to keep our business going, albeit in a reduced capacity. However, the missing ingredient is our daily connection, comradery and seeing our differently-abled young people develop new skills and to have a sense of purpose and meaning. Our blog’s focus this month is to check in on our team and to share with our following how a number of our team members and community volunteers describe what they miss, what they are looking forward to, a new skill our talent they’ve developed over the course of the last nine months, and as Thanksgiving approaches, what are they thankful for. Reading everyone’s contributions and writing this piece brought such joy, a feeling I have not felt in many months. Enjoy the contributions from a good number of our crew, in their own words.

Charlie, Bryan, Jordann, Elizabeth and Patrick - the core of our sales team

Joey - Treat Baker

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? I miss working together in St. Luke's kitchen because we have fun and we are a great team.

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather together? I am looking forward to working with my friends.

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you've taken on during this time? I am doing more spelling to communicate and I am interviewing people on FaceTime to get to know them better.

What are you thankful for? I am thankful for my family because they love me unconditionally and I am thankful for Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats because I love my job.

Jordann - Sales Team Member

I am looking forward to selling Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats and seeing my friends. I am enjoying singing and dancing. I am very thankful to have my family and my two new kittens. Bella my dog is slowly getting use to her furry brother and sister. My mom thinks Bella deserves a treat!

Elizabeth - Sales Team Member

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? I miss seeing my friends and selling treats

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather again together? Seeing people!

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you’ve taken on during this challenging time? I have mastered zoom calls with Service Source and with Best Buddies. I am also doings lots of puzzles (1000 piece puzzles every 10 days)

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are your thankful/grateful for? My family.

Matthew is a positive presence in the kitchen!

Matthew - Treat Baker and Sales Team Member

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? I miss seeing all of my friends, especially “trouble-maker” (Bryan). I miss helping to make the dog treats and spending time with my friends.

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather again together? Seeing and spending time with my friends, especially Bryan.

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you’ve taken on during this challenging time? I have been helping my dad by cutting the grass and I’ve been going on nice walks with my mom.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are your thankful/grateful for? I am thankful for my mom, my dad, my two sisters and my best friends. I am also thankful that we have been able to stay healthy.

Karen (Operations Team) and Carsen (Treat Packer) - The Dynamic Mother/Daughter Duo

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? Seeing our volunteers smiling faces.

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather again together? Catching up on what everyone has been doing and what movies they watched.

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you’ve taken on during this challenging time? Enjoying nature walks.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are your thankful/grateful for? Carsen - Being able to go back to school in person so I can see some of my friends.

Karen - Family and Friends

Julie – Community Volunteer

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? I miss the camaraderie and being able to check in with everyone to know how they're doing. I also miss the smell of the treats baking and the sense of accomplishment from baking so many treats in a short amount of time.

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather again together? All of the above :-)

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you’ve taken on during this challenging time? I've been organizing a pantry collection for the folks living in the Creekside neighborhood. I make a delivery every three weeks. Currently I'm putting together a Thanksgiving collection.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are your thankful/grateful for? The health of my family and their ability to pivot and make the most of these challenging days.

Julie lights up the kitchen with her smile and positive energy! Bryan loves working with Julie during baking sessions!

Bryan - Treat Baker and Co-founder, Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats

What do you miss most about working with Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats? I miss seeing everyone and having structure in my day.

What are you most looking forward to once we are able to gather again together? Catching up with everyone and having the feeling of purpose and accomplishment return to my daily life.

Name one new talent, skill or hobby you’ve taken on during this challenging time? I’ve learned how to pack treats for shipping. My mom and me work on shipping out our online and Pawfect Provisions subscription orders. Our dog, Mr. Friday supervises.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what are your thankful/grateful for? I am thankful for all of the health care providers that are working so hard to keep everyone safe. I am grateful for my family and friends who have supported me for the last 17 months while undergoing cancer treatment.

Bryan and his dough rolling companion Ms. Wilson.

Charlie - Operations Team Lead

The thing I miss by far is working with our team. I miss each and every person in their own particular way. Of course, I miss my breakfast...oops, I mean testing the treats to make sure they are the right consistency! It's such a joyful atmosphere it fills my soul with happiness.

I'm most looking forward to the smell of gingerbread, the laughter, and the church organ echoing through the halls of the church.

I haven't taken on anything new at all during the pandemic! And that was kind of the plan! I'm trying to practice my guitar more and play golf on the actual course.

I am grateful for the people that I work with both at Pawfectly Delicious and my other endeavors. I am thankful that I've been able to spend more time with my family this year. Other than that I'll thank 2020 to just take the rest of the year off, we've all had enough!

Charlie, Mary and Bryan, the three comedians of the kitchen!

Mary - Community Volunteer

I miss you all so much. Most of all the things I miss are the smiles of everyone as they would come in to work, as we greeted a new day and began our work together. The fellowship of our group would fill my heart each week.

I miss Matthew's stories of his adventures, I miss Joey's meticulous attention to the detail of producing the treats, I miss Bryan and Charlie enjoying their friendship with their shared sense of humor. I miss Julian and Carsen working at the assembly table together and upping the production every week. And I miss our weekend friends Elizabeth and Jordann and Patrick working at the Farm Stand.

Yes, the fellowship of our group filled my heart each week.

I am so anxious to return to our times together. As we enter this holiday season of Thanksgiving my friends at Pawfectly Delicious are at the top of my list of treasures.'

We hope you’ve enjoyed catching up with our team. We are grateful and thankful for your support of our nonprofit’s mission during this uncertain and difficult period. When you choose to support our mission through the purchase of our Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats, not only are you giving your “pawfect” pooch a wonderful treat, but showing our team you believe in what we do and why we do it.

We have a limited supply of our holiday specialty treats available. Check out our online shop for more information.

On behalf of all of us at Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please stay healthy and take care of yourself and each other.

With gratitude,

Anne Tuccillo, Executive Director

Photo credit - Unsplash

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