Ages 6-16 · Book 5, Empathy · 4,299 places
Animal Shelters and Rescue
Often a child's first experience of caring for something that cannot say thank you.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Helping Hand — “What matters more than earning a Gold Star?” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Pick the need first, from the people who actually have it
- Session 2
Read the story and name why helping cost him something
- Session 3
Plan the smallest useful thing, and do it this week
- Session 4
Do it without announcing it, and see how that feels
- Session 5
Say afterwards what changed for the person, not for us
Questions leaders ask
Is animal shelters and rescue in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is empathy — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 6-16. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
How do we find a real need in your area rather than inventing a project?
Ask the people who have it. The session order is deliberate — the need comes first and the activity is built to fit it, not the other way round.
Does this have to be a big project?
No, and big projects are usually the ones that teach least. One useful thing, done this week, without announcing it, is the whole lesson.
The rules that make it work
Helping has to cost something
Kindness that is free teaches nothing, and children over about eight already know it. The cost is named out loud in every session.
Notice first — it is an attention skill
Empathy gets taught as a feeling children are supposed to summon. It starts as noticing one specific person, which is trainable and testable.
Owning a mistake is the harder lesson
Helping a friend is easier than admitting you were the one who caused the problem. The book teaches both, and this is the one adults skip.
Do not announce it
The moment helping becomes a thing you are seen doing, it becomes a performance. The follow-up asks what changed for the other person, never how the helper felt.
Success is bigger than the award
The gold star is in the title for a reason. A room that only celebrates outcomes has already taught the lesson this book is arguing with.
Adults go first, with a real mistake
An adult naming something they got wrong, at a cost, changes a room faster than any activity in it.
Animal Shelters by metro area
Northeast
- Animal Shelters — New York, NY
- Animal Shelters — Philadelphia, PA
- Animal Shelters — Boston, MA
- Animal Shelters — Pittsburgh, PA
- Animal Shelters — Providence, RI
- Animal Shelters — Hartford, CT
- Animal Shelters — Buffalo, NY
- Animal Shelters — Rochester, NY
- Animal Shelters — Bridgeport, CT
- Animal Shelters — Albany, NY
- Animal Shelters — Worcester, MA
- Animal Shelters — Allentown, PA
- Animal Shelters — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Animal Shelters — Syracuse, NY
- Animal Shelters — Harrisburg, PA
- Animal Shelters — New Haven, CT
- Animal Shelters — Portland, ME
- Animal Shelters — Scranton, PA
- Animal Shelters — Lancaster, PA
- Animal Shelters — York, PA
- Animal Shelters — Springfield, MA
- Animal Shelters — Waterbury, CT
- Animal Shelters — Reading, PA
- Animal Shelters — Manchester, NH
- Animal Shelters — Trenton, NJ
- Animal Shelters — Atlantic City, NJ
- Animal Shelters — Utica, NY
- Animal Shelters — Norwich, CT
- Animal Shelters — Erie, PA
- Animal Shelters — Binghamton, NY
- Animal Shelters — Barnstable, MA
- Animal Shelters — Burlington, VT
- Animal Shelters — Kingston, NY
- Animal Shelters — Amherst, MA
- Animal Shelters — Chambersburg, PA
- Animal Shelters — Bangor, ME
- Animal Shelters — State College, PA
- Animal Shelters — Vineland, NJ
- Animal Shelters — Lebanon, PA
- Animal Shelters — Johnstown, PA
- Animal Shelters — Pittsfield, MA
- Animal Shelters — Glens Falls, NY
- Animal Shelters — Altoona, PA
- Animal Shelters — Lewiston, ME
- Animal Shelters — Williamsport, PA
- Animal Shelters — Watertown, NY
- Animal Shelters — Gettysburg, PA
- Animal Shelters — Ithaca, NY
- Animal Shelters — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Animal Shelters — Chicago, IL
- Animal Shelters — Detroit, MI
- Animal Shelters — Minneapolis, MN
- Animal Shelters — St. Louis, MO
- Animal Shelters — Cincinnati, OH
- Animal Shelters — Kansas City, MO
- Animal Shelters — Columbus, OH
- Animal Shelters — Indianapolis, IN
- Animal Shelters — Cleveland, OH
- Animal Shelters — Milwaukee, WI
- Animal Shelters — Grand Rapids, MI
- Animal Shelters — Omaha, NE
- Animal Shelters — Dayton, OH
- Animal Shelters — Des Moines, IA
- Animal Shelters — Madison, WI
- Animal Shelters — Akron, OH
- Animal Shelters — Wichita, KS
- Animal Shelters — Toledo, OH
- Animal Shelters — Springfield, MO
- Animal Shelters — Lansing, MI
- Animal Shelters — Fort Wayne, IN
- Animal Shelters — Youngstown, OH
- Animal Shelters — Flint, MI
- Animal Shelters — Canton, OH
- Animal Shelters — Davenport, IA
- Animal Shelters — Ann Arbor, MI
- Animal Shelters — Peoria, IL
- Animal Shelters — Lincoln, NE
- Animal Shelters — Rockford, IL
- Animal Shelters — Green Bay, WI
- Animal Shelters — South Bend, IN
- Animal Shelters — Sioux Falls, SD
- Animal Shelters — Duluth, MN
- Animal Shelters — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Animal Shelters — Evansville, IN
- Animal Shelters — Fargo, ND
- Animal Shelters — Kalamazoo, MI
- Animal Shelters — Appleton, WI
- Animal Shelters — Champaign, IL
- Animal Shelters — Topeka, KS
- Animal Shelters — Rochester, MN
- Animal Shelters — Lafayette, IN
- Animal Shelters — Columbia, MO
- Animal Shelters — Joplin, MO
- Animal Shelters — Elkhart, IN
- Animal Shelters — Springfield, IL
- Animal Shelters — St. Cloud, MN
- Animal Shelters — Racine, WI
- Animal Shelters — Saginaw, MI
- Animal Shelters — Iowa City, IA
- Animal Shelters — Muskegon, MI
- Animal Shelters — Eau Claire, WI
- Animal Shelters — Oshkosh, WI
- Animal Shelters — Bloomington, IL
- Animal Shelters — La Crosse, WI
- Animal Shelters — Terre Haute, IN
- Animal Shelters — Waterloo, IA
- Animal Shelters — Kenosha, WI
- Animal Shelters — Janesville, WI
- Animal Shelters — Bloomington, IN
- Animal Shelters — Jackson, MI
- Animal Shelters — Traverse City, MI
- Animal Shelters — Rapid City, SD
- Animal Shelters — Monroe, MI
- Animal Shelters — Jefferson City, MO
- Animal Shelters — Niles, MI
- Animal Shelters — Sioux City, IA
- Animal Shelters — Bismarck, ND
- Animal Shelters — Wausau, WI
- Animal Shelters — Manhattan, KS
- Animal Shelters — Springfield, OH
- Animal Shelters — Battle Creek, MI
- Animal Shelters — Ames, IA
- Animal Shelters — Mansfield, OH
- Animal Shelters — Lawrence, KS
- Animal Shelters — St. Joseph, MO
- Animal Shelters — Sheboygan, WI
- Animal Shelters — Muncie, IN
- Animal Shelters — Sandusky, OH
- Animal Shelters — Michigan City, IN
- Animal Shelters — Kankakee, IL
- Animal Shelters — Grand Forks, ND
- Animal Shelters — Mankato, MN
- Animal Shelters — Fond du Lac, WI
- Animal Shelters — Bay City, MI
- Animal Shelters — Lima, OH
- Animal Shelters — Dubuque, IA
- Animal Shelters — Decatur, IL
- Animal Shelters — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Animal Shelters — Columbus, IN
- Animal Shelters — Kokomo, IN
- Animal Shelters — Midland, MI
- Animal Shelters — Grand Island, NE
- Animal Shelters — Minot, ND
South
- Animal Shelters — Dallas, TX
- Animal Shelters — Houston, TX
- Animal Shelters — Atlanta, GA
- Animal Shelters — Washington, DC
- Animal Shelters — Miami, FL
- Animal Shelters — Tampa, FL
- Animal Shelters — Orlando, FL
- Animal Shelters — Charlotte, NC
- Animal Shelters — Baltimore, MD
- Animal Shelters — San Antonio, TX
- Animal Shelters — Austin, TX
- Animal Shelters — Nashville, TN
- Animal Shelters — Virginia Beach, VA
- Animal Shelters — Jacksonville, FL
- Animal Shelters — Raleigh, NC
- Animal Shelters — Oklahoma City, OK
- Animal Shelters — Louisville, KY
- Animal Shelters — Richmond, VA
- Animal Shelters — Memphis, TN
- Animal Shelters — Birmingham, AL
- Animal Shelters — Tulsa, OK
- Animal Shelters — Greenville, SC
- Animal Shelters — New Orleans, LA
- Animal Shelters — Knoxville, TN
- Animal Shelters — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Animal Shelters — McAllen, TX
- Animal Shelters — Charleston, SC
- Animal Shelters — Baton Rouge, LA
- Animal Shelters — El Paso, TX
- Animal Shelters — Columbia, SC
- Animal Shelters — Cape Coral, FL
- Animal Shelters — Lakeland, FL
- Animal Shelters — Greensboro, NC
- Animal Shelters — Little Rock, AR
- Animal Shelters — Deltona, FL
- Animal Shelters — Winston-Salem, NC
- Animal Shelters — Palm Bay, FL
- Animal Shelters — Augusta, GA
- Animal Shelters — Durham, NC
- Animal Shelters — Fayetteville, AR
- Animal Shelters — Jackson, MS
- Animal Shelters — Chattanooga, TN
- Animal Shelters — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Animal Shelters — Huntsville, AL
- Animal Shelters — Pensacola, FL
- Animal Shelters — Lexington, KY
- Animal Shelters — Killeen, TX
- Animal Shelters — Wilmington, NC
- Animal Shelters — Corpus Christi, TX
- Animal Shelters — Ocala, FL
- Animal Shelters — Savannah, GA
- Animal Shelters — Brownsville, TX
- Animal Shelters — Gulfport, MS
- Animal Shelters — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Animal Shelters — Lafayette, LA
- Animal Shelters — Asheville, NC
- Animal Shelters — Naples, FL
- Animal Shelters — Mobile, AL
- Animal Shelters — Spartanburg, SC
- Animal Shelters — Beaumont, TX
- Animal Shelters — Tallahassee, FL
- Animal Shelters — Fayetteville, NC
- Animal Shelters — Montgomery, AL
- Animal Shelters — Shreveport, LA
- Animal Shelters — Hickory, NC
- Animal Shelters — Lubbock, TX
- Animal Shelters — Huntington, WV
- Animal Shelters — Gainesville, FL
- Animal Shelters — Clarksville, TN
- Animal Shelters — Columbus, GA
- Animal Shelters — Roanoke, VA
- Animal Shelters — Hagerstown, MD
- Animal Shelters — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Animal Shelters — Kingsport, TN
- Animal Shelters — Waco, TX
- Animal Shelters — Longview, TX
- Animal Shelters — College Station, TX
- Animal Shelters — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Animal Shelters — Laredo, TX
- Animal Shelters — Slidell, LA
- Animal Shelters — Amarillo, TX
- Animal Shelters — Lynchburg, VA
- Animal Shelters — Daphne, AL
- Animal Shelters — Tyler, TX
- Animal Shelters — Lake Charles, LA
- Animal Shelters — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Animal Shelters — Macon, GA
- Animal Shelters — Fort Smith, AR
- Animal Shelters — Panama City, FL
- Animal Shelters — Charlottesville, VA
- Animal Shelters — Gainesville, GA
- Animal Shelters — Athens, GA
- Animal Shelters — Monroe, LA
- Animal Shelters — Punta Gorda, FL
- Animal Shelters — Jacksonville, NC
- Animal Shelters — Johnson City, TN
- Animal Shelters — Lexington Park, MD
- Animal Shelters — Warner Robins, GA
- Animal Shelters — Auburn, AL
- Animal Shelters — Florence, SC
- Animal Shelters — Charleston, WV
- Animal Shelters — Houma, LA
- Animal Shelters — Bowling Green, KY
- Animal Shelters — Dover, DE
- Animal Shelters — Midland, TX
- Animal Shelters — Burlington, NC
- Animal Shelters — Abilene, TX
- Animal Shelters — Jackson, TN
- Animal Shelters — Greenville, NC
- Animal Shelters — Blacksburg, VA
- Animal Shelters — Odessa, TX
- Animal Shelters — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Animal Shelters — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Animal Shelters — Decatur, AL
- Animal Shelters — Hattiesburg, MS
- Animal Shelters — The Villages metro area, FL
- Animal Shelters — Florence, AL
- Animal Shelters — Dothan, AL
- Animal Shelters — Sherman, TX
- Animal Shelters — Valdosta, GA
- Animal Shelters — Winchester, VA
- Animal Shelters — Wichita Falls, TX
- Animal Shelters — Rocky Mount, NC
- Animal Shelters — Alexandria, LA
- Animal Shelters — Dalton, GA
- Animal Shelters — Texarkana, TX
- Animal Shelters — Albany, GA
- Animal Shelters — Morgantown, WV
- Animal Shelters — Hammond, LA
- Animal Shelters — Harrisonburg, VA
- Animal Shelters — Jonesboro, AR
- Animal Shelters — Wheeling, WV
- Animal Shelters — Cleveland, TN
- Animal Shelters — Salisbury, MD
- Animal Shelters — Staunton, VA
- Animal Shelters — Morristown, TN
- Animal Shelters — Elizabethtown, KY
- Animal Shelters — Lawton, OK
- Animal Shelters — Goldsboro, NC
- Animal Shelters — San Angelo, TX
- Animal Shelters — Brunswick, GA
- Animal Shelters — Anniston, AL
- Animal Shelters — Owensboro, KY
- Animal Shelters — Steubenville, WV
- Animal Shelters — Sebring, FL
- Animal Shelters — Pinehurst, NC
- Animal Shelters — Beckley, WV
- Animal Shelters — Sumter, SC
- Animal Shelters — Gadsden, AL
- Animal Shelters — Paducah, KY
- Animal Shelters — Rome, GA
- Animal Shelters — Victoria, TX
- Animal Shelters — Hot Springs, AR
- Animal Shelters — Hinesville, GA
- Animal Shelters — Parkersburg, WV
- Animal Shelters — Enid, OK
- Animal Shelters — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Animal Shelters — Los Angeles, CA
- Animal Shelters — Phoenix, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Riverside, CA
- Animal Shelters — San Francisco, CA
- Animal Shelters — Seattle, WA
- Animal Shelters — San Diego, CA
- Animal Shelters — Denver, CO
- Animal Shelters — Portland, OR
- Animal Shelters — Sacramento, CA
- Animal Shelters — Las Vegas, NV
- Animal Shelters — San Jose, CA
- Animal Shelters — Salt Lake City, UT
- Animal Shelters — Fresno, CA
- Animal Shelters — Tucson, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Honolulu, HI
- Animal Shelters — Bakersfield, CA
- Animal Shelters — Albuquerque, NM
- Animal Shelters — Boise, ID
- Animal Shelters — Oxnard, CA
- Animal Shelters — Stockton, CA
- Animal Shelters — Colorado Springs, CO
- Animal Shelters — Provo, UT
- Animal Shelters — Ogden, UT
- Animal Shelters — Spokane, WA
- Animal Shelters — Reno, NV
- Animal Shelters — Modesto, CA
- Animal Shelters — Santa Rosa, CA
- Animal Shelters — Visalia, CA
- Animal Shelters — Vallejo, CA
- Animal Shelters — Salem, OR
- Animal Shelters — Santa Maria, CA
- Animal Shelters — Salinas, CA
- Animal Shelters — Anchorage, AK
- Animal Shelters — Eugene, OR
- Animal Shelters — Greeley, CO
- Animal Shelters — Fort Collins, CO
- Animal Shelters — Boulder, CO
- Animal Shelters — Kennewick, WA
- Animal Shelters — Olympia, WA
- Animal Shelters — Merced, CA
- Animal Shelters — Bremerton, WA
- Animal Shelters — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Animal Shelters — Bend, OR
- Animal Shelters — Yakima, WA
- Animal Shelters — Santa Cruz, CA
- Animal Shelters — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Bellingham, WA
- Animal Shelters — Las Cruces, NM
- Animal Shelters — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Yuma, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Medford, OR
- Animal Shelters — St. George, UT
- Animal Shelters — Chico, CA
- Animal Shelters — Billings, MT
- Animal Shelters — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Animal Shelters — Yuba City, CA
- Animal Shelters — Redding, CA
- Animal Shelters — El Centro, CA
- Animal Shelters — Idaho Falls, ID
- Animal Shelters — Pueblo, CO
- Animal Shelters — Grand Junction, CO
- Animal Shelters — Logan, UT
- Animal Shelters — Maui, HI
- Animal Shelters — Santa Fe, NM
- Animal Shelters — Hanford, CA
- Animal Shelters — Flagstaff, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Mount Vernon, WA
- Animal Shelters — Napa, CA
- Animal Shelters — Albany, OR
- Animal Shelters — Bozeman, MT
- Animal Shelters — Missoula, MT
- Animal Shelters — Wenatchee, WA
- Animal Shelters — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Animal Shelters — Twin Falls, ID
- Animal Shelters — Farmington, NM
- Animal Shelters — Longview, WA
- Animal Shelters — Cheyenne, WY
- Animal Shelters — Corvallis, OR
- Animal Shelters — Helena, MT
- Animal Shelters — Fairbanks, AK
- Animal Shelters — Pocatello, ID
- Animal Shelters — Grants Pass, OR
- Animal Shelters — Great Falls, MT
- Animal Shelters — Casper, WY
- Animal Shelters — Lewiston, ID
- Animal Shelters — Walla Walla, WA
- Animal Shelters — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
