Small donations lead to big impact; Local woman holds 17th pet food drive

TUCSON, Ariz. — A local woman is teaching kids that a small effort, can make a big impact when it comes to giving back.

Carrie Moline is a 5th grade teacher at Robison Elementary, where she has continued holding the pet food drives she has been putting together every winter, for 17 years.

“The very first one I had, I collected about 150-200 pounds of food and I donated it to the arizona humane society,” Moline said. She held that initial drive when she was living in Phoenix. “And it just kind of grew from there and started getting community built, with students and kiddos.”

Over the years Moline has grown the food drive, to incorporate prizes for the kids who donate. She continued it when she moved from Phoenix to Tucson, and when she switched schools.

“About three years ago, when I was at Warren Elementary, I had the biggest pet food drive. I collected 1,750-something pounds of food, and I was able to distribute it between five different pet rescues,” she explained.

“This year, we collected about 1,348 pounds of food and $375 in donations for spay/neuters.”

Year over year, Moline has been able to help rescue after rescue; the Southern Arizona Cat Rescue, Lend A Bone Rescue, the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary, Paradise Parrot Rescue, Forever Home Donkey Rescue, Paws Without Borders, and so many more. All the while, she's been sending a simple but powerful message for her students to learn.

“Even one can of food will feed a cat or feed a dog,” Moline said. “So every little bit counts, and it all adds up to being a big thing.”

The groups she helps, all feel that. Melissa Lesinsky, manages Hunter's Kitten Lounge in midtown on Speedway. They care for about 30 cats on any given day. All but one are up for adoption through the Southern Arizona Cat Rescue, which Lesinsky is the director of.

“We run completely on donations, and all of a sudden getting like 50 bags of dry food in our lobby, it just is huge,” Lesinsky said. “That means that we don't have to take it out of the cat's medical budget to go and get food. We don't have to take it out of our emergency fund to go get food.”

This past year's food drive will be the last one Moline will organize in a school, since she's retiring from teaching after 20 years.

But she's not ready to stop, no matter what her next steps end up being.

“Hopefully, where I go next, maybe they'll let me do it too,” she said. “I don't know how much I'll get, but if not, I'll donate.”