By Kaylee Robinson
On Monday, Jan 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Atrium of Concordia College was filled with students making toys for dogs and cats. Hosted by the Community Engagement Committee of Campus Events Commission (CEC), students were provided with supplies to create these toys for two local shelters in the Fargo-Moorhead area called 4 Luv of Dog Rescue and Cat’s Cradle Shelter.
This was a brand-new event hosted by the Community Engagement Committee. Chloe Ingvaldson, the Community Engagement Commissioner, said “It was kind of just an idea that I came up with on my own.”
“I would say the event was successful,” Chloe said. “I think we probably had approximately thirty people there, which is pretty good for a new event.
Tabling in the Atrium is always popular; people walk by and they’re interested.”
Campus Events Commission (CEC) hosts about 75% of all student events on campus with five different committees. Chloe said “I have a ten-person committee. It is the biggest committee out of all of them. But overall, CEC has approximately thirty members.”
Last year, Community Engagement volunteered at the local shelter 4 luv of Dog Rescue. Wanting to expand more than just helping dogs, Chloe came up with the idea to help with Cat’s Cradle Shelter. She said, “I wanted to find a way to help both of those places again this year.”
Founded in 2005 and based in Fargo, ND, 4 Luv of Dog Rescue is devoted to rescuing and rehoming dogs. It is a fully volunteer-run and community-supported organization. 4 Luv of Dog Rescue receives no government funding and relies on grants, fundraising, and donations to stay operational. “As of 2024, we’ve placed over 6,600 dogs in their forever homes, thanks to the dedication of our amazing volunteers and supporters,” their online website said.
Cat’s Cradle Shelter was opened January 1st in 2012. This shelter is a no-kill shelter for rescued cats and kittens. All cats are cared for by a core group of shelter volunteers. Wanting to create a more humane world for cats, they care for and protect them while working hard to find them a forever home. Their online website said, “Cat’s Cradle Shelter is currently funded 100% by donations, fundraising, and adoption fees.”
The Community Engagement Committee works hard to find volunteering opportunities that will benefit not only the organizations they are volunteering for, but the students at Concordia College as well.
