About – Fetching for Freedom

My name is Rayna and I was born and raised in New York City. I attend a neighborhood high school and am very involved in my community. I volunteer at the Upper East Side Rehabilitation and Nursing Center singing and playing Bingo with the elderly. I also volunteer at the Food Bank for New York City in which I help sort and package foods to be sent to food pantries around New York City.

I am an avid snowboarder, tennis player and enjoy being part of the investment and finance club at my school. I also participate in a dance program and have been dancing since I was three.

Many people think that only adults can give back and make a difference but that is not true. I have always been passionate and loved dogs since I was young. A few years ago my family got a Labradoodle. That is when I realized how much a dog can change a person’s life.

I wanted to make a difference and use my love for dogs, so I started Fetching for Freedom in 2015. It is an organization that assists in raising money to buy service dogs for soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder and visual impairment. I have seen many service dogs around New York City but I never really understood their importance or truly appreciated them until now.

Service dogs provide emotional support and companionship in ways that humans can not. They also help comfort soldiers with PTSD and guide people who are blind. To raise money for Fetching for Freedom I started a gofundme page. I also held many bake sales both in and out of my school and hung up posters about service dogs educating my classmates. I was able to help purchase my first service dog in October 2016 when I was paired with Warrior Canine Connection. It was an amazing experience being able to meet the dog, Huffington, a Golden Retriever. Huffington would change the soldier’s life forever.