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My name is Jennifer, and together with my family, being low income ourselves, have started the Pet Pantry program. Our program helps low income families feed their pets. When times are tough, we ourselves have had to visit food pantries to get help with food and other supplies. We have found that the one thing that food pantries do not help with is food for your pets. So you are left to decide: What do I feed my pets? That's when we decided to do something about it.Treasured family pets are being left hungry, homeless and abandon. The Pet Pantry program is aimed at helping families with the food and supplies needed to keep pets in their homes and with their families. The program is based on donations by businesses and by the public. Our distribution days are when families can come and get immediate help. We have been attracting more people every time an event is held. We have helped many families keep their animals in their homes instead of going to a shelter. Pets are not disposable, they are family.
 About the Family: We are Jennifer and Dave Stiles, we have been married 7 years and we have two children. Jake is 17, and has graduated high school and plans to attend college for Television Media Productions. Elizabeth is 13, and is in 7th grade and likes to do volunteer work with animals and disabled children. We enjoy fishing, camping, nature walks, movies, swimmimg and spending time together at home. Dave and I are full time college students at Baker College in Muskegon Michigan.. Dave is working towards his Achitecture/Engineering Degree and plans to graduate in the spring 2010. I am working towards my Human Services Degree and plan to graduate in 2011. Baby and Shelby are our four-legged family members. We rescued Baby from being euthanized in a shelter when she was just 3 months old. Baby is a Husky/Lab mix who is now 6 years old. She is a great companion and friend and loves to lay in the sun and take naps. The newspaper is where we found Shelby, our Black Lab/Retriever mix. Shelby is 5 years old and loves her hunter orange soccer ball, she carries it where ever she goes.
 My name is Jodi Jarvis-Therrian, everyday as I take a walk with my two best canine friends for about a year now we stop in the woods and get a treat, we say our gratitude for the day and are thankful for the food and blessings we have and then we send out our wish to the Universe that no other animal in the world shall go hungry. I started to do this long before the Pet Pantry, not knowing this would be my path that I was called to help on in life.
I suppose, I was being called to do this for some time now but it took a few signs to smack me in the face before I knew it. Now I feel I must follow this path I am being called to follow. I believe it is important to help those animals who cannot do for themselves, their unheard voices are always crying for us to hear. My hope is that every being has a loving home and never ever goes hungry. This is the main reason I decided to give my time to the Pet Panty to help all those animals in need. No one should have to make the decision to have to give up their best friend and I hope we can reach all families that need us.
I live with my wonderful husband Tim who makes me laugh and smile everyday,I am very grateful to be happy with the love of my life. There is also the beautiful, ambitious and fun 18 year old daughter Paige who is graduating this year and going into nursing. I also live with my two best four legged friends Odin and Cheyenne who give me much appreciated unconditional love everyday and fill my heart full of smiles.
I have a lot of wonderful family on the east side of Michigan , including parents, one sister Robin and lots of canine family there too. I am also fortunate enough to have 3 awesome stepsons, Matt, Damien and Josh also one grandson Alex in Florida I believe some of the most important things in life are those you cannot see. Live happy, dance and dream always.
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