Animal rescue and shelter operations are a source of volunteer opportunities for animal lovers. | Terrah / Flickr
Animal rescue and shelter operations are a source of volunteer opportunities for animal lovers. | Terrah / Flickr
Max Kreps has always had a profound love for animals, which is just one of the things he's been bringing to the McDonough County Animal Shelter as a volunteer for the past five years.
“My goals as a volunteer for the McDonough County Animal Shelter is to bond with the animals and work with them to keep them ready for the glorious day when their forever family walks through the door to meet them and they fall in love,” Kreps told West Central Reporter. “The unconditional love animals offer is so fulfilling for families. I have owned many pets in my life and have never lived for extended periods of time without a pet. To me, life is incomplete without the companionship of a furry friend.”
Kreps, a lifelong Macomb resident, began volunteering at the animal shelter in 2014 after retiring from a 34-year career as a physical education teacher. He also became a board member of the Humane Society of McDonough County.
McDonough County Animal Shelter volunteer Max Kreps
“It has been a very positive and rewarding experience as a volunteer for our humane society as well as a volunteer at our shelter,” Kreps said. “I have met and worked with so many people who are involved for the same reasons as I am. We love animals and strive to improve the lives of the animals that are at the shelter. Our commitment is 100 percent in finding homes for those animals who are there through reasons that are out of their control.”
In addition to being a volunteer at the animal shelter and the McDonough County Humane Society, Kreps volunteers in the spring as a softball coach at Macomb High School. He and his wife are also spearheading a fundraising campaign to add an equipment room on to the football field house at the school.
“Helping the community is a win-win situation for me,” Kreps said. “It keeps me active and gives me a purpose each day. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to meet new people and also to stay in touch with others with similar interests. It is also a way to reinforce the lessons taught through involvement in athletics and coaching that were part of my occupation. Working toward a common goal, persevering through ups and downs, and staying positive and focused are integral parts of volunteering and were themes that I taught daily as an educator.”
When Kreps isn’t devoting his time to helping the community, he enjoys golfing, watching sports events and visiting family in North Carolina.
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