paws4people Visit 2025
Earlier this year, our Executive Director, Laurie Gift, traveled to Wilmington, North Carolina to visit our Partner, paws4people!
Earlier this year, our Executive Director, Laurie Gift, traveled to Wilmington, North Carolina to visit our Partner, paws4people!
paws4people provides highly trained service dogs to children, trauma survivors, and veterans. They breed, raise, train, certify, and insure each dog, ensuring they are prepared to support individuals living with physical disabilities, trauma, and PTSD. Through our partnership, the MrBallen Foundation was honored to sponsor Virginia, a service dog whose presence was celebrated during the ceremony.
Virginia’s partner, Uriel Santiago, sought a service dog after surviving sexual assault and facing one of the hardest seasons of his life. From the moment Virginia entered his world, everything changed. Uriel shared that he feels like a different person in the best way, and that Virginia’s presence has brought strength, safety, and healing back into his daily life. We’re deeply grateful to paws4people for their life-changing work, and to Uriel for trusting us with his story. Together, we’re helping survivors reclaim hope and move forward, one partnership at a time.
Click here to watch the video of the experience!
