Helping Shelter Animals Find Their Furever Homes

 

I’m a big animal lover, and my love for animals has inspired me to branch out and help the animals within the Bloomsburg community. I’ve been a part of the Students Saving Shelter Animals (SSSA) Club at Bloomsburg since the first semester of my freshmen year. As I was walking through the Student Involvement and Activities Fair, I came across the SSSA table and couldn’t believe that such an organization existed. I was so happy to know that there are other college students out there like me who want to help animals in need. We meet on a bi-weekly basis, and our meetings are always centered around animals and coming up with new ways we can help the animals within our community. Our executive board team is senior heavy, so we could really use younger members to keep the SSSA Club thriving for years to come.

That's a call for you, the reader, to join!

I wanted to be as involved as possible within the club, so when the executive board elections came around, I was excited to have been nominated for a position. Last year I was elected the new Event Coordinator for the SSSA Club! I pitched a new idea that has been quite successful. I suggested that each club member or Bloomsburg resident donates any new or lightly used towels, blankets, or sheets to the Danville SPCA. That way they are not wasting their blankets and towels and are putting them to the best use possible. There are donation boxes in most of the residential dorm halls at Bloomsburg for students to put their towels and blankets.

We also collaborated with the Honors College, and they’re allowing Honors students to get service hours for their donations. It’s a win-win situation all around! The shelter animals depend on our love and affection to get through their time at the shelter. Unfortunately, some animals are there a lot longer than others, and those are the animals that need the most love and support.

I’ve been volunteering at the PSPCA Danville Center for over a year now. I go to the shelter monthly to help staff with whatever they need for the day. I usually spend time taking the dogs on nice long walks and playing with the cats in the cat room. The dogs do not care what the weather is; they’ll happily walk even in rain or snow. There are also gated yard areas at the shelter where I take the dogs to let them run around and play and have more space. It always fills my heart to see them happy. They are so desperate to get outside of their kennels and get some fresh air. Investing my time in them is the least I can do. If I can make even one animal’s day and time at the shelter a little better, then my time there is worth it. I love going into the shelter and seeing all of the animals’ names fill up on the adoptions for the month. That’s how it should be. I hope that each animal in the shelter finds their furever home with the best family!

— Lillie Corino, a senior business administration and communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis in management and organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications this fall. She's a native of Bucks County who enjoys spending time with her family, pets, ESA, watching Friends, seeing Morgan Wallen in concert, playing lacrosse, and going shopping with her mom.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife

A local Husky’s guide to the Bloomsburg Fair

We're fast approaching an annual milestone that molds our university culture with those in the rural realm around us. Each year, people come together for a week from far and wide in the only town in Pennsylvania to celebrate: the Bloomsburg Fair!

I’m from the small town of Benton, about 20 miles north of Bloomsburg. The fair is a huge attraction for us rural neighbors, mainly because you have to drive to Bloomsburg to do anything exciting in the first place. Also, because the surrounding high schools have the whole week off for the fair. If you have never been to "The Fair," I implore you to try it out! Especially if you’re a fan of greasy, fried comfort food on a stick.

Animal lovers have their place at the fair too. There are plenty of barns where you can check out horses, goats, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, and even dogs (if you’re willing to pay a small fee). If you have an interest in antiques, gardening, or art, you should check out the four large, brick exhibit buildings located parallel to the sky ride. The best shopping and knick-knacks are located under the grandstand.

Of course, those aren’t the only attractions at the Bloomsburg Fair. There’s also the area around the track that houses all the carnival games you loved to play as a kid.

Have $10 and some serious carnival skill?

You might just win your significant other the most ginormous teddy bear ever. Or if you’re lacking in the skill department, you could win a keychain … I guess that’s nice too.

If you want an adrenaline rush, try out the carnival rides! The adrenaline comes from the ride, but also from the knowledge that it could (jokingly) break at any second. They are also mostly located at the far end of the track. In all seriousness, the rides are extremely safe, because they have to be inspected so many times for only one week of operation.

The food ... I mean, the food!

The food at the Bloomsburg Fair is possibly its biggest attraction. The food may seem very uniform, but every stand has a specialty, and a group of customers it attracts. Sure, there are TONS of fried food, but there are other delicious options that aren’t batter dipped and fried in oil. There are an abundance of stands selling cheesesteaks, gyros, pizzas, calzones, seafood, and some things you’ve never even heard of.

A few years ago I bought a foot-long hotdog with macaroni and cheese as a topping. There’s a stand where you can purchase a turkey leg. You read that right, you can walk around looking like a Viking. There are also some places that have more of a restaurant atmosphere where you can sit down and eat. Places like these usually have some of the best desserts.

Did you say dessert?

Yes, there are so many choices. There are the typical ice cream stands, and the not-so-typical Penn State Berkey Creamery stand (AKA the most delicious, non-homemade ice cream ever). The fair is also during peak apple season, so apple dumplings are a necessity and are available all over the fair. Another one of my favorites are flavored honey sticks. They’re basically like pixie sticks, but with dozens of different flavors of honey. There are multiple stands with taffy and other candies as well.

As if food and desserts weren’t enough, there are also some great beverages available at the fair. Kohr’s orange juice stands are everywhere, and it’s unlike any orange juice you’ve ever had. There are also multiple local cider mill stands where you can get delicious apple cider. Big Ben’s sodas (blue birch beer in particular) are also very yummy.

Last but not least ... the entertainment

No, I don’t mean people watching, although that has its entertaining moments as well.

There's a free stage located near the main entrance, where plenty of bands, musicians, and performing artists play from mid-morning until the fair closes each night. Marching bands also perform at different times throughout the week.

This year there are eight musicians and performing artists at the grandstand — ahem, Cole Swindell and Brett Eldredge to name two — and there’s also the always competitive tractor and truck pull and the popular, entertaining demolition derby.

Grandstand entertainment requires a ticket, which can be bought on the fair’s website. Got my ticket for Tuesday night and already itching to get there early, so maybe you'll see me down there!

— Dallas Kriebel, senior mass communications major #AGreatPlaceToBeYou