You an Eastie with a BFF Beastie!? Check out the Eastie Beastie Photo Contest!

Welcome, friends and neighbors! Over the years, the crowd at the festival has gotten bigger and the temps are always high. With the risk of overstimulation and overheating, as an animal advocate group we had to take responsibility that the fashion show was hypocritical to our mission. So, when we moved [last minute] the contest online last year there was so much engagement and it turned out to be such an amazing fundraiser that it seemed like a repeat this year was a no-brainer! We’ve streamlined the process, added some fun ways to earn bonus votes, and have an opportunity
for a photo shoot. Let’s get into it!

Theme: Posh or Party! A tomato is classified as both a vegetable (posh) and a fruit (party) and your pet has a personality that aligns with one of those! Talk it over with your pet and see if they are marinara or bloody mary and use your ‘mater imagination.

Submission: it’s FREE and any pets are welcome to participate. We have had dogs, cats, bearded dragons, pigs, and even a hedgehog. Families and friends can enter with dueling personalities or pair them up. Email your photo to matermuttshots@gmail.com and be sure to include your name
and the name of your pet *in the body of the email* so that votes will go to the appropriate pet. Participation is open now and will close at 11:59PM on August 7th.

Voting: voting takes place on August 13th *ONLY.* We will have our booth at the festival with all the photos of those participating on display. Every dollar is a vote, and votes will be accepted as paper currency (that’s dolla dolla bills y’all) or through Venmo @eastcan. You can share your entry with
anyone you want and they can submit a “vote” even if they can’t physically stop by the booth. Votes submitted through Venmo must have your name/pet’s name in the notes section as it appeared in the emailed entry so that it can be applied correctly. These funds raised will go directly back into
the community via foster dogs in our program, outreach, or veterinarian care for owned pets.

Bonus votes: Behave Like a Mater shirt: if you wear your shirt and stop by our booth, you will be able to cast your bonus vote to your chosen entry. We had extras of 2XL and 3XL from last year, and so we are giving them away at Wags and Whiskers (bin by the garage door) FCFS starting Sunday,
July 31st at noon. These shirts are Bella+Canvas so can easily be styled to fit smaller frames.

BEast collar: If your pet has a collar purchased from the Basement East site, be sure to include it in the photo for an extra vote on your entry!

Mural/Photo Shoot: One of our favorite local artists and rescuers, Megan Southern, has created a beautiful backdrop that matches the style of the official artwork of the festival and provides an easy way for people to participate. The mural will be at Wags and Whiskers in 5 Points starting July 31st at 5PM. There will be a QR code in a weather-proof stand so you can visit and submit the photo at your convenience.

PRIZES: Grand Prize: $300 gas card
1st Runner-Up: 5 month membership to Gym5
2nd Runner-Up: $25 GC to Eastwood Deli Co./Hat from Princess Dyer Maker/Soap bundle from My Cluck Hut

Details available to download here: https://bit.ly/EastieBeastie

Why Do I Foster? by Megan Southern

The first freedom ride. The first bath where you wash away that life they knew before. The first time that puppy cuddles up to you knowing that you are not scary like the people they knew before. The first time they get to truly play and learn what toys are. The first walk where they glance back at you for reassurance that they are doing it right. The first of many meals that fatten them up and they learn to know now will keep coming. That first time that this puppy meets his people and you see the joy of a perfect pairing. Then knowing that because you got to experience all these amazing things it saved a life.  Why wouldn’t I foster?!

East CAN is so grateful to Megan, who has fostered more than 50 dogs for us!  Once she had two litters of puppies at the same time!  

Serve up Love this Mother’s Day Weekend – East CAN Delivers Family Brunch!

Pets or Humans.  Family, Business or Community.  There’s no one way to mother. But there is one way to show how much you appreciate them!

Order them a Family Brunch for Two from
COCO’s ITALIAN MARKET with a bottle of
VON SCHLEINITZ ESTATE wine!

East C.A.N. is proud to once again partner with COCO’S ITALIAN MARKET and VON SCHLEINITZ ESTATE wines to offer you and your family an effortless Mother’s Day Weekend meal!  Delivered personally to you or your designated recipient!  (ORDER LINK)

Brunch for Two from COCO’s includes:

ELEGANT QUICHE FOR 2: Choice of Ham & Cheese
or Spinach (fresh and ready to bake),
HOMESTYLE SOUP: Choice of TOMATO with CHEESE TORTELLINI or CHICKEN NOODLE,
FRUIT SALAD FOR 2,
JUICE: Choice of ORANGE or CRANBERRY,
SHAREABLE CINNAMON ROLL &
1 BOTTLE OF VON SCHLEINITZ ESTATE PROSECCO
NEW!  Kids’ Meals now available!
TWO CHICKEN TENDERS
MAC & CHEESE
FRUIT SALAD
COOKIE & JUICE

Deadline for orders is Monday, May 3.  Your dinner will be beautifully boxed and delivered to your front porch on Saturday, May 7th or Sunday, May 8th.
Serve up the love this Mother’s Day weekend!!  Our delicious four-course brunch for two is just $80. Kids’ Meals are just $10 each. Order as many as you need to feed those you love! Net proceeds go directly to East CAN.

COMMUNITY YARD SALE – Rain Delay! New Date: Saturday, May 1!

The irony is not lost on me!

My efforts to tie the 2021 Yard Sale to the return of spring sunshine appears to have gone awry.  All details for the Yard Sale remain the same except for the NEW DATE IS SATURDAY, MAY 1.

Volunteers are still needed!  Complete a VOLUNTEER CONTACT FORM and our Volunteer Coordinator, Yvonne, will reach out to you!   Here are some of the ways you can help!

Sorting/Pricing at East Nashville Self-Storage (800 Main St)
Mon, April 26 … 5-8pm
Wed, April 28 … 2-5pm
Th, April 29 … 2-5pm
Yard Sale Set-up and Item Transfer (meet at Eastwood Christian Church)
Friday, April 30 … 3-7pm
Yard Sale Day of Setup and Staffing (Eastwood Christian Church)
Saturday, May 1 – * indicate shifts that need the most help!
*6-8:30am
*8 – 10:30am
10am – 12:30pm
12 – 2:30pm
*2 – 4pm
This year’s items are remarkable – everything from furniture and furnishings to electronics and baby stuff!  But, wait until you see the amazing array of clothing and autographed merchandise!   Help us give the dogs and these items a second chance.
For more information, contact info@eastcan.org.

Make Room for Summer & the East CAN Community Yard Sale – April 24

 

The Beatles said it best … “Little Darlin, it’s been a long cold lonely winter.”  But, here comes the sun and it is time for Spring Cleaning!  Clear your house of unwanted clutter and let’s turn trash to treasures at the EAST CAN 2021 COMMUNITY YARD SALE on Saturday, April 24 at Eastwood Christian Church (1601 Eastland Ave).

To make it even easier, this year, we will be accepting donations IN ADVANCE at two locations that match your schedule!  Should you need another time, contact Sharon at (615)554-3764.

East Nashville Self-Storage, 800 Main St
10am-Noon
Saturday, April 3, 10 and 17

1003A Gwynn Dr, Inglewood 37216
8am – 9pm, April 1 – 19
This is a private residence (duplex), so text or call (615)554-3764 before drop off.

Leave items on porch or beside the driveway on the right.

** Should you need another time, call Sharon at (615)554-3764 **

Want to volunteer to help?  In advance, we need sorters, pricers and drop-off helpers.  Then, day of, we need many hands to make light work of loading, unloading, setup, sales and support!  It’s easy to volunteer, just complete this simple online form: https://form.jotform.com/eastcancommunity/volunteercontactform

The yard sale is just one month away. Doesn’t it seem like years since the last one has been here?  Let’s make this one for the record books!  Reclaim your space and feel doggone great about it!  For more information, contact us at info@eastcan.org

East CAN Delivers!!

For Valentine’s Day, Cupid came in the form of a beautifully boxed and delivered Dinner for Two from Coco’s Italian Market and Von Schleinitz Estates wines.  In our first EAST CAN DELIVERS fundraiser, more than 30 couples from across East Nashville and the Metro area enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner with wine, hand-delivered to their door.  The result? Many happy and well-fed couples spent their special day snuggled at home, avoiding crowded restaurants and mask restrictions.  And for East CAN?  A much-needed $2,500 boost to help the steady stream of dogs we serve!  

Let’s do it again Mother’s Day, May 9!

Why not keep a good thing going?  Celebrate your Mother, yourself or anyone you love with Mother’s Day Brunch for Two (or four or six) delivered personally to a Nashville address near you!  Details are still being finalized, but you can look forward to homemade soup, quiche and dessert from Coco’s Italian Market plus a bottle of bubbly wine from Von Schleinitz Estates!  Order as many as you need to feed the family – including a special kid’s meal option!  Stay tuned for details! 

Valentine’s Dinner for Two – to benefit East CAN! Order Yours Today!

East C.A.N. is proud to partner with COCO’S ITALIAN MARKET and VON SCHLEINITZ ESTATE wines to create your Valentine Dinner Date Night and deliver it to you!  (ORDER LINK)

Dinner from COCO’s includes:

  • Tortellini Elliston for 2″ Cheese or choice of chicken/sausage (fresh and ready to bake).
  • Garden salad for two
  • Two pieces of Tiramisu or two large Cannolis
  • Bread &
  • A bottle of Underdog wine from VON SCHLEINITZ ESTATE (red or white)

Deadline for orders is Sunday, February 7.  Your dinner will be beautifully boxed and delivered to your front porch on Saturday, Feb 13th or Sunday, Feb 14th.

Stay home and snuggle those you love – the two and four legged variety!  Our delicious dinner for two is just $100 for cheese, $110 with the addition of meat.  Net proceeds go directly to East CAN. 

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ORDER:  
https://form.jotform.com/eastcancommunity/east-can-valentine-dinner-order

    

HCA Healthcare says, “We CAN!”

One voice can make a difference. Joy Howard, an East CAN adoptive mom, volunteer and trainer in HCA Healthcare’s Learning Solutions department, delivered on that promise this month.  This fall, Joy nominated East CAN to receive a pro bono “explainer video,” from her HCA work division as part of their annual Caring for the Community Day.  The result is here!  A beautiful, engaging video guiding viewers through East CAN’s powerful origin story in 2008 up to our vital service to the dogs and humans of East Nashville today.

As an East CAN helper, delivering and picking up dogs for appointments and other necessary trips, Joy was already a valuable volunteer for our organization.  So, when the opportunity arose for her to brag on us at work, she did so with gusto!  Her coworkers agreed and we were one of six Nashville-area 501(c)3 organizations selected by HCA’s department of Learning Solutions to receive a professionally-produced multi-media presentation, supporting our mission and outreach.

Team Lead Ted Nunes directed four full-time members of the department through the multi-step process — from initial consultations with the organization and compilation of images/logos/videos through script writing, voice and audio recording and editing.  This dedicated HCA team logged 23 work hours to share East CAN’s unique story!  All paid for by HCA, evidence of their “Caring for the Community” corporate culture.

“This company truly nurtures volunteering and community service,” explained Deanna Ooley, Instructional Designer and HCA coordinator for this year’s explainer video project.  Last year, her first week on the job, her first assignment was working one of the three videos created for Nashville organizations in 2019 (HCA’s first year of the Explainer Video Program).   The program is returning next year and for years to come, because as Ooley expressed it, “As a department we are using company resources to do something for the community that we couldn’t do as individuals.”

Sounds a LOT like East CAN, don’t you think?  The video is housed on the East CAN website’s ABOUT page and on YouTube.

Shop. Give. Family. Together.

East C.A.N. is thrilled to be an official Kroger Community Rewards organization! Your Kroger Rewards card can raise much-needed funds for East C.A.N. – and all it takes is a mouse click or two!

To register, visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into your Kroger account, search for East C.A.N. either by name or UG881 and then click “Enroll.” New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

And remember when shopping online, we are also enrolled in Amazon Smile. If you haven’t yet linked us to earn money while you shop, it’s easy!   https://smile.amazon.com . Choose Charity: East Nashville Community Action Network.

Shop. Give. Family.  Happy holidays to your family from ours!