Making sure your volunteers know they are appreciated

I remember having a discussion with the top person at an animal rescue where I volunteered about volunteers. She felt such a disdain for the volunteers, she stated on more than one occasion she would like to do away with the whole volunteer program because she felt it was useless and the shelter did not gain anything by it.
Having this kind of attitude succeeded in running off many volunteers, which led to a decline in adoptions and donations and the deaths of numerous dogs and cats who were highly adoptable She has since been let go. (her cohort is still employed there for the time being) It will take many months for them to regain what they lost in a few short weeks.
Manatee County doesn't harbor such thoughts. Check out this story in the Bradenton Herald.