Paws with a Purpose

They say a dog is a man's best friend, but for some individuals, their dog is a lifeline. Right here in rural America, we are privileged to have a nationally recognized organization and facility dedicated to raising, training, and placing service dogs with people in need. In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff sits down with Kyle Cory-Yaeggi, Operations Director, and Laura Erganian, Fund Development Coordinator, from Retrieving Freedom, Inc.  Retrieving Freedom is a non-profit organization with a mission to change lives through the training and placement of service dogs for veterans with disabilities and children with autism. The organization operates out of two Midwest locations, Waverly, Iowa, and Sedalia, Missouri as an accredited member of Assistance Dogs International. Retrieving Freedom is recognized nationally for its unique training methods and exceptional quality of its 117 service dog placements. What you'll learn:  Kyle and Laura's passion for the non-profit industry and how their career paths led them to Retrieving Freedom An in-depth overview of Retrieving Freedom, from their mission and their training program to their locations and placement processes Kyle and Laura's respective responsibilities as Operations Director and Fund Development Coordinator Some of the marketing strategies Retrieving Freedom uses to communicate with different audiences How being located in rural America helps them better serve clients across the country Details on the summer volunteer opportunities and the annual public events Retrieving Freedom hosts in their communities What Kyle and Laura love about living in rural America and how they would characterize the Midwest