What started out as just a “pet driven” mission has developed into a special connection to the homeless and the less fortunate in the area. Stacey Lambright co-founded this mission called Faithful Forgotten Best Friends. FFBF is a non-profit organization of volunteers that works to improve the quality of life for pets of the homeless and less fortunate in central Ohio through educating their owners and providing food, vaccinations, and any necessary veterinary care.
There are no paid salaries at FFBF and with thanks to The Holy Family Church on W. Broad Street there is very little overhead. Stacey and FFBF’s co-founder Connie Swackhammer want what comes in from the community to go right back out to help the animals. They also just don’t help the animals; they help the owners too by finding doctors to provide everything from eye glass exams to finding a surgeon to do hip surgery.
With so much going on with FFBF, Stacey pretty much has 3 full-time jobs. Stacey is the owner of The Lambright Team with REMAX Consultant Group in New Albany and she and her husband, Jim, have a second full time team with ACN. ACN is a company that focuses on saving people money via the deregulation of utilities and energy.
So how does Stacey find time to balance everything? “If you ask anyone they would swear I only sleep 2 hours a day and go non-stop. With 2 full time jobs and FFBF, I do go from sun up to sun down. I recently said, ‘isn’t it amazing that you can work 18 hours out of a 24-hour day and still come home on an adrenaline rush and not be tired!?”
Stacey’s latest personal venture is helping a good friend, who moved here from Zimbabwe, to raise money to drill a water well in is home village. When she was first told about the process to get water, she started working right away on quotes to drill a well there and is now fundraising to cover the cost. This selfless act follows the quote that Stacey lives by; “You have not lived until you do something for someone who can never repay you!”
Stacy plans to continue keeping FFBF transparent in the future. “We have done so much in our short existence. We really have worked so hard and the community has taken notice. We have had great support from the local media and other similar nonprofits.” In 2013, FFBF is really going to focus on reaching out to corporate sponsors and start writing and applying for grants. “We are very grass roots but full of passion and dedication to help the animals of central Ohio. So, if we just keep our goal in sight, which is to help the animals, we cannot fail.”
To find out how you can help with FFBF, visit www.ffbf-columbus.org.