WEBVTT

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(woman speaking quietly)

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- [Reporter] The President's
Volunteer Service Awards

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recognize milestones in volunteer service.

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Staff sergeant Brittany
Griffith has won the Gold Award

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by dedicating more than 1000 hours

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volunteering with programs
that help animals.

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- (mumbles) is a 100% volunteer
organization and they depend

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very heavily on members of
the community volunteering

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to be fosters, so that is
the other part of service

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that I provide with Critter Shack

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is I do foster cats, as well.

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- [Reporter] Staff sergeant
Griffith's service ensures

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healthy living conditions for the kitties

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while they wait to be adopted.

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- So here in the adoption center,

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I come in about once a week and clean

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all of these enclosures
that you see behind me.

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- [Reporter] But cleaning
after them isn't the only role

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she plays in these kittens' lives.

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- And on the second part of that,

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is also just coming in
and letting the cats out

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into the open area to get
socialized into play with them.

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If they don't have someone
come and play with them,

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they'll end up getting a little feral

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and not be as friendly, and
that's going to severely hurt

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their chances of getting adopted.

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- [Reporter] Her involvement goes beyond

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just playing with kittens.

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- So if you can find something
that really makes you happy,

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it shouldn't feel like
you're just volunteering

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to fill space on that
bottom line of your EPR

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or because your supervisor told you

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that you needed to do something.

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It should be something that
really makes an impact not only

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in the lives of the
people, or in this case,

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the animals that you're
working with or for,

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but also makes an impact in
your life and makes you happy.

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- [Reporter] It's that
passion that has driven her

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to volunteer as many hours as she has.

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Airman First Class Matthew Angulo

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Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas.

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- You're bigger than him, you be nice.