Liz Ciufo

No matter how young, kids CAN make a difference Second in a series with this theme, this book follows teenaged Jessica as she completes 150 volunteer hours at her local animal shelter. And just like in the book Skip's Dog, Lola, Jessica falls in love with another special dog that she helps take care of. Will she get to keep the dog this time, or will she have to give it up to someone who needs him more? Come on this journey with Jessica as she finds out what it's like to volunteer at a local animal shelter run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), where she learns to give of herself for only the satisfaction of serving. See how she falls in love over and over again with dogs in the shelter, where the goal is for the animals to be adopted into loving homes as soon as possible.

In 2011 - 2012 my daughter, Jessica volunteered 150 hours at a non-profit organization that rescued large-breed dogs and trained them to be assistance dogs for disabled military veterans. Most of these veterans bore the scars of war inside where they could not easily be seen. Some were recluses and hadn't been out to public places for 40 years. Some had traumatic brain injuries, some had physical disabilities, some were just changed forever inside. Jessica witnessed firsthand the positive impact that these assistance dogs had on the lives of the veterans she met while there. She also gave her time, her love and her heart to each and every dog and then willingly gave them up to the veteran who needed them most. This book is a small glimpse into that journey of hers, and, also meant to highlight the importance of such programs for military veterans who have suffered the effects of combat in their bodies and in their souls. May we continue to show our gratitude for those who secure our freedoms.--Major (retired) Elizabeth Ciufo WatersUS Army Combat Veteran, Desert StormUS Air Force Reserve Retired

Come on a journey of self-discovery with the author who chronicles her time in the US Army as an Intelligence Officer during the Persian Gulf War. Filled with the original, poignant, moving, and sometimes raw entries from a journal she wrote in 1990 and 1991 while deployed to Saudi Arabia, this memoir will challenge you to think about things in a new way. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And it will challenge you to consider hard topics such as: Is any war just? And how much sacrifice is too much? While learning more about military life, the buildup to war, and war itself, whether military or not, every reader will find something that resonates in their everyday lives. Take a walk in the past and a look behind, to discover new things about the future. Elizabeth Ciufo Waters was a US Army Combat Veteran and retired as a Major in the United States Air Force.Includes Group Discussion Topics for reading clubs that review this book.