Candy Is a Powerhouse

Candy is the heartbeat of Friends of JAS (FoJAS). It is with her leadership and determination that FoJAS even exists. What’s most amazing about these declarations is that they are not an exaggeration. They are absolutely true.

Candy is the president of FoJAS and has been since its official inception in June 2024, when the organization became a registered 501(c)(3). If you subtract the time that FoJAS has been an official nonprofit from the number of years Candy has been volunteering at Joint Animal Services—four years—that leaves less than two years. Two years to figure out the workings of Joint Animal Services (JAS), understand the obstacles it faces, gather together like-minded people, start meeting as a group, file legal paperwork with the state and federal government, and voilà, FoJAS. Not for the faint of heart.

Candy had help, especially from Kate, a former JAS volunteer who has since moved north (we miss you!). The two planned, researched, and recruited. That recruitment eventually became the FoJAS board, whose members have been in lockstep with Candy. In the past two years, the group has been exactly as named: a friend to JAS. With Candy’s guidance and willingness to take on even daunting tasks, the partnership between the shelter and the nonprofit has made great strides in improving infrastructure and services.

No story about Candy would be complete without mention of Rob, not only her spouse, but her true partner. When the two decided to leave Oregon in 1977 and make their home in Olympia, our community was fortunate. Other board members marvel at the projects the two take on, like building a pergola, constructing a patio, or turning a shed into a weatherproof fortress. Together, they figure things out. Without Candy, I doubt we would have figured it out.

Thank you, Candy, for the powerhouse you are. And Rob, thanks for sharing her.