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published: Friday, January 04, 2013
Meet Your
NEIGHBOR
Ronda Cline
Meet Your
NEIGHBOR
Ronda Cline
-- Hometown: Raised in Davenport; has lived in Groveland since 1988.
-- OCCUPATION: Manager of South Lake Animal League Thrift Shop
-- FAMILY: Husband, Terry; two dogs, Sally and Sasha, and two cats, Toddy and Pearl
What do you enjoy most about South Lake County?
I love that I can still live in the country and only have to travel 15 minutes to have everything I ever need in the way of services, shopping and restaurants.
If you had to summarize your philosophy of life in one sentence, what would it be?
Work hard, save and invest for your future and learn how to listen.
Name a person or incident you've come across recently that's touched you in some way. Why did this person or incident impress you so much?
I'm impressed every day by people that go out of their way to help other people and animals. I see and talk to customers all the time hear their stories and find out that they are shopping for a person or family in need. By shopping at our thrift shop they are also helping the animals. The time they take to donate items to us is amazing. There is one couple that purposely walks their dogs late at night just to see what good stuff the neighbors are putting out for the trash. They get it, fix it if necessary and bring it to us. It's a pure act of kindness, and that impresses me.
How does what you do contribute to the welfare of the area?
The South Lake Animal League Thrift Shop not only brings people to the downtown area to shop and this hopefully also helps the other downtown stores but the most important contribution is to the South Lake Animal League Adoption Center in Groveland. The thrift shop raises most of the money that is needed for its operation and for the care of the pets waiting for their forever homes. As for one of my greatest accomplishments, I would have to say being a part of the animal league since 1991 and watching it grow from a small group of dedicated volunteers with very little funds and no real assets, to what it is now. A much larger group, of still very dedicated volunteers, that can now help even more homeless animals with our thriving thrift shop, our adoption center and room to expand on our 22 acres
What's something you've always wanted to do but haven't yet?
Buy a rototiller, dig up a piece of land and make a huge garden with every vegetable I can think of in it. It's good to connect with nature and the vegetables would just be the icing on the cake.
What advice would you give to people who want to help out in the community?
Find your passion in life and then do something to promote it whether it's through your financial support, your expertise or your time. Volunteer something.
