SFSD Fall Newsletter 2025

A message from Cabell

It was a perfect fall day, clear and sunny with a light breeze. The chairs were dusted, diplomas prepped, sound system checked and double-checked. The Draper Woody and Jo Lynn Draper Pavilion was dressed for graduation and the reception tent decked out with flowers and balloons. All was ready for Graduation 2025. We celebrated ten new teams embarking on fresh adventures with their Saint Francis Service and Facility Dogs. It never gets old, seeing the new teams all together under one roof. The people are all so different, and their lives so diverse, that it is kind of incredible that our dogs can profoundly impact all of them. It reminds me of one reason why Saint Francis Service Dogs is truly unique. It is in our mission statement: To help people with disabilities achieve their goals and have greater independence through partnership with exceptional Saint Francis Service Dogs. Those three little words are the hinges everything swings on. At Saint Francis, we take our partners’ goals and make them our own. A person wants to maximize their independence for as long as possible in the face of a debilitating progressive disease: Check. A children’s hospital wants to reduce the fear and anxiety of children seeking treatment and encourage patient

participation: Check. A mother wants help managing her child’s seizures and their aftermath: Check. A family wants to be able to integrate all their children into family activities and trips without fear or hesitation: Check.

The list goes on and on.

This is what we do best. And we do it at no charge to our partners. It is the ultimate gift – one that each of our partners earns with hard work, dedication, and commitment to the process. It is not easy. Our dogs reward the effort with unconditional love, devotion, and service. At Graduation, we celebrate the end of one journey and the start of another one – one filled with more possibilities, laughter, and joy. And we will be with them every step of the way, supporting these fledgling teams, helping them achieve their current goals, and set new, even loftier ones. As we wrapped up Graduation, happily washing platters, stacking chairs, and putting things away, I began thinking of next year. It will be our 30th anniversary, and we have exciting news coming. We are deeply grateful to you - our volunteers, staff, and donors – for making these exceptional dogs possible. It is a privilege to work alongside you, and I cannot wait to share the next stage of our journey with you!

“At Graduation, we celebrate the end of one journey and the start of another one

- one filled with more possibilities, laughter, and joy.”

Executive Director

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