Family-Owned Business Organizes Giving Effort for Shelter Group

For the McCollums, giving back is part of doing business.

The family owns and operates , a 40-year-old home services company in Stafford that serves residents all over southern Ocean County. Each year, said Walt’s son Mark McCollum, the company makes a point of setting aside a certain amount money for a local cause, from the environmental commission to the Little League.

This year, one need really spoke to them, McCollum said.

“We’ve all been reading the stories in the newspaper about how with the economy, people can’t afford to feed or care for their pets properly,” he said, “so this time around, we wanted to do something for the animals.”

They chose the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter as their beneficiary, and decided that instead of giving a lump sum, they’d get the community involved. For each service call in February and March, the company is donating $10 to the nonprofit, which is a companion organization to the county-run shelter on Haywood Road in Manahawkin. 

“We’re lucky enough to be living in an area that has such wonderful group of volunteers,” McCollum said. “They’re definitely a bunch of committed people.”

Giving to FOSOCAS is particularly satisfying, he said, because he knows the whole donation goes directly to paying for veterinary care and supplies for the shelter’s cats and dogs.

How much that donation amounts to depends on the company’s clientele. "We’ve never done a program like this before," McCollum said, "and I hope to make it a tradition based on how successful it is.”

And spreading the word is about more than making the company's annual donation a success, he said. As pet lovers themselves, the family wants to do its part in raising awareness of the pressing needs of local shelters in times of economic turmoil.

"We really wanted to focus on this, and get the word out," he said. "Despite all the news coverage, not a lot of people realize this is a problem in our area."

Help the McCollums give back! Visit their website at waltmccollumhomeservices.com or give them a call at 609-597-1414