Nearly every cat who arrives at Heartland Humane Society has probably met, been petted and been loved by Jackie Sandstedt. Jackie is a dedicated Southeast South Dakota RSVP volunteer who loves to work with the feline residents at Heartland. Her efforts allow Heartland Humane Society to accomplish their mission of intaking, caring for and rehoming animals in the Yankton area.
Jackie has been an active volunteer with Heartland Humane Society since 2017 and has donated over 300 hours of her time snuggling on cats. Her dedication helps the cats remain comfortable and socialize during their adoption journey.
Because of her dedication to the community, United Way & Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton was honored to present Jackie Sandstedt with the February 2022 Volunteer of the Month Award.
Kerry Feilmeier, Executive Director of Heartland Humane Society shared, “Jackie is a true advocate for the cats, letting staff know her concerns for each individual animal and dedicating time for each one when she visits.”
We asked Jackie to share more about her community volunteer efforts.
“I have lived in Yankton since March 2014. I became involved in volunteering soon after in Spring, 2014, I believe!”
“I began volunteering by working with elementary students during noon time hours with their basic skills that were assigned by their teachers to practice. It was rewarding when they began being comfortable with the skills. It always made me feel “good” when a child became comfortable and proficient with their teacher assigned skills. I really like outdoor plant work with the Monastery garden too. It was nice to see the end results of our outdoor exercise!”
We asked Jackie how many hours per year she volunteers. Her response, “I wasn’t counting!”
“Volunteer work is enjoyable because you work independently to get the job done.”
“The advice I would give to those thinking about getting out there and volunteering in their communities is volunteer work is enjoyable because it gives you personal satisfaction! I really enjoy the “4 legged” pets too. We always had cats and dogs in our household.”
Thank you, Jackie for your extraordinary efforts! To learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to nominate a Volunteer of the Month, please visit www.yanktonunitedway.org/volunteer, email info@yanktonunitedway.org or call United Way of Greater Yankton at (605) 665-6766.
