February is here, and love is in the air, especially for the pets who mean everything to the older adults we serve.

Each year, Eastern Area Agency on Aging’s Furry Friends Food Bank helps ensure that older adults never have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their companions who bring them comfort, routine, and connection. For many, their pet is more than a pet; they are family, and often their primary source of daily companionship.

This year’s Paws for a Cause campaign is inspired by one very grateful cat and the “Very Good Human” who depends on him just as much as he depends on his human. Their story reflects the reality for hundreds of older adults across our service area: rising costs, limited income, and deep concern about how to keep their beloved pets at home.

To better understand what this program means to the people it serves, we invite you to read this year’s appeal letter written from the perspective of one very thankful feline and the human who needs him most. You can read the full story by clicking here.

Thanks to generous supporters like you, the Furry Friends Food Bank distributed more than 4,400 pet food kits last year and helped feed over 500 pets through a network of community partners and volunteers. But the need continues to grow. Today, nearly 100 older adults remain on the program’s waitlist, hoping for the same support.

When you give to Paws for a Cause, you’re doing more than filling a bowl.

You’re easing loneliness.
You’re protecting independence.
You’re keeping best friends together.

Unlike most of our programs, the Furry Friends Food Bank receives no state or federal funding. It exists entirely because people like you believe no older adult should have to give up a beloved companion due to financial hardship.

Our goal this February is to raise $20,000 to help meet the growing demand for pet food assistance and ensure that more older adults and their pets can stay healthy, safe, and together.

Your gift today helps provide reliable, ongoing support for pets who offer unconditional love and for the people who need them most.