(Evansville, IN – June 11, 2025) – The Vanderburgh Humane Society is rebranding its pet food assistance program of more than 20 years to, “Margie’s Pet Food Pantry” in honor of a longtime volunteer who passed away in 2024.
Margie Cox was a critical volunteer at the VHS for more than 23 years, alongside her daughter Cheri. Vanderburgh Humane Society Director of Advancement Amanda Coburn says, “When we look back at our recent history, it’s very difficult to imagine without Margie. In fact, she and Cheri were there the day that we moved into our current facility in June of 2004, helping move the dogs & cats in.”
Margie volunteered in a variety of capacities over those years. She and Cheri fostered hundreds of litters of puppies & kittens (and their moms!) who wouldn’t have had a chance otherwise, in their personal home.
Margie helped at events, unloaded transports, and cleaned cages when times were tough. One staff member said after she passed, “Margie was the most giving, caring, and dedicated person – she spent so much of her time focusing on things to help others. I wish I knew the number of animals that Margie & Cheri have helped us save, because it would be astronomical.”
And lastly, she was an integral part of the VHS’ pet food bank. The food pantry keeps pets in the homes they already have and ensures they don’t go hungry. For more than 2 decades, on the third Monday of the month, Margie was there…. Passing out pet food to our most vulnerable community members.
When she passed away last February, the VHS leadership team had to evaluate the pet food bank program since it had lost its core volunteer. After reworking some protocols under the leadership of Events & Outreach Coordinator Mackenzee McKittrick, VHS says they’re proud that the expanded program has now serves families within 3 business days, rather than just once a month.
But the biggest change is the name and the official new logo:
VHS Marketing & Communications Specialist Megan Baggett designed the logo with a few very special features in mind:
2) The font used for her name was modeled after Margie’s handwriting on the label of her food bin that was still floating around the shelter months later.
3) The brown in the logo was chosen, obviously, because pet kibble is brown… but the blue is a denim-colored blue, in honor of the denim shirts Margie wore a lot.
Coburn says, “We look forward to remembering Margie in this way for years to come. And when people might look at that logo and say, ‘Hey, who’s Margie?’ We’ll say, ‘She was a wonderful volunteer who loved this program. She loved animals… particularly Dachshunds. And she loved helping people just like you, too.’”
The Vanderburgh Humane Society team also wishes to thank the many volunteers who are keeping Margie’s Pet Food Pantry running efficiently, and keeping pets’ bellies full in the community.
