Volunteer of the Year

2020 Volunteer of the Year:

Kathy Janes

Bringing a friend to a person in grief. Making the day of a hospitalized person. Giving children the confidence to read their favorite book cover to cover.

Those are a few of the reasons Kathy Janes took early retirement in order to devote more time to her passions – Paws & Think and Human Animal Interaction studies. During her time as Volunteer Coordinator, Kathy wore many hats. Scheduling volunteers into venues, attending volunteer workshops, and assisting with trainings are all part of what Kathy did for the organization.

Before retirement, Kathy earned her BA in English and worked as a copy editor at an academic publishing company. After having children, she went into telecom sales and project management. Besides Paws & Think, Kathy has dedicated her time to helping the community, both in her native California and here in Central Indiana. She has served as a volunteer for Family Services, state and local PTA, and was a Blue Bird Leader. With animals, Kathy has been involved with breeding and showing Cocker Spaniels, volunteering for the Northern California Old English Sheepdog League Rescue, and participating in competitive obedience with her own dogs. She recently earned her Animals & Human Health Certificate through the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, a program within the Graduate School of Social Work at Denver University.

Kathy has a Goldendoodle named Gilligan and a mixed-breed rescue named Harriet who are both registered therapy dogs with Paws & Think. She is also planning to train her newest dog, a Cockadoodle named The Skipper, to become a therapy dog as well.

In her free time, Kathy likes to read recent studies in the field of Human Animal interaction, learn more about dog training, and play with her grandkids.

Previous Volunteers of the Year:

2019 Volunteer of the Year: All Volunteers
Watch the video of how our volunteers supported the community during the pandemic.

2018 Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Ryan

2017 Volunteer of the Year: Lynsey Smith

2016 Volunteer of the Year: Wendy Hendricks

2015 Volunteer of the Year: Diane Aurand

2014 Volunteer of the Year: Susan Pratt

2013 Volunteer of the Year: Margaret Drew

2012 Volunteer of the Year: Tom Janes

2011 Volunteer of the Year: Lisa Snyder

2010 Volunteer of the Year: Carol Davenport

2009 Volunteer of the Year: Rhaya Shilts

2008 Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Feltz

2007 Youth Volunteer of the Year: Sara Gibson

2007 Adult Volunteer of the Year: Jodi Van Slyke

2006 Youth Volunteer of the Year: Amanda Clevenger

2006 Adult Volunteer of the Year (inaugural): Jill Boyer

2005 Youth Volunteer of the Year: Leslie Hannah

2004 Youth Volunteer of the Year (inaugural): Keith Diemer