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BACK ISSUES

Remembering Jean Vollum (1927-2007) with Gratitude

JEAN VOLLUM with her dog STAR

by Joan Dalton

JEAN VOLLUM was more than a donor for the many worthy causes she supported. She genuinely loved people – especially the young males who work with Project POOCH dogs.

I first met Jean when I was invited to travel from Portland to Gresham with her, Linda Hines (former executive director of the Delta Society) and Leo Bustad, DVM, School of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. Jean had the ability to make people feel and be part of a vision to promote the human-animal bond.

It was Jean who provided the seed money to begin Project POOCH (positive opportunities – obvious change with hounds) at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in the year 1993. And no organization was allowed to skim off administrative fees for delivering her checks to Project POOCH.

She attended several events in which youths showed off their dog handling skills, kennel construction skills, and social skills. Jean was never the kind of person to just put in an appearance and leave. She spent time conversing with the youths and meeting their dogs.

Her best friend, Sophie Engelhard-Craighead, donated money to build an education center next to the Vollum Kennel at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. Of course, this meant a dedication ceremony was in order.

The day of the dedication was the hottest day in July and youths had chilled bottled water to hand out to the guests. As the guests began arriving, a big black limousine pulled up and the youths’ mouths dropped in wonderment. Out stepped Jean and Sophie. The youths felt they were very important to have guests arrive in a limousine! Everyone followed the paint dog prints on the sidewalk to find their way to the event at the kennel.

After the ceremony, the youths invited Jean to sit in the best seat in the education center – a donated simulated leather chair. She was all smiles as she enjoyed answering questions and asking questions of the youths.

Jean remembered POOCH every year with an annual gift and often invited me to events to meet people who might be interested in learning about Project POOCH. She used to chuckle about the fact that a dog kennel carried the Vollum name. She was more than a name on a building to Project POOCH; Jean gave from her heart and left a lasting legacy to the youths now and those who follow in the future.

In gratitude -----