Lynsey Smith is Paws & Think’s Volunteer Coordinator, responsible for recruiting, training, scheduling, and supporting volunteers. In 2014, Lynsey was looking for a place to volunteer where she could use her writing skills and, as a dog lover, was drawn to Paws & Think’s programs and mission. She became a volunteer in December of 2014, and over the years she has served as a member of the PR & Marketing committee, as a Paws to Read Reading Buddy, and as the Special Events Coordinator. She has also volunteered as a helper for therapy team training classes and with evening care for the Youth-Canine program. Lynsey took on the role of Volunteer Coordinator in 2021.Lynsey has a Bachelor of Arts from Wittenberg University where she majored in English and minored in philosophy, and she studied abroad for a semester in Amsterdam. She currently works full-time as a project consultant for Ascension where she has worked since 2011.
Lynsey loves to read, travel, attend music festivals, and explore new parks with her dog, Stevie Licks. Stevie is a Lab/Pit Bull mix that graduated from Paws & Think’s Youth-Canine program in 2016. Lynsey met her while volunteering for evening care with the program and instantly fell in love. Lynsey had wanted to adopt a dog and was hoping to meet one through volunteering, and she adopted Stevie from Indianapolis Animal Care Services immediately after she graduated from the program. Stevie loves naps, peanut butter, and playing with her best friend Luci. Lynsey picked the perfect name for her dog; when Stevie gets really excited, she twirls just like her namesake, Stevie Nicks.
The 2017 Paws & Think Volunteer of the Year, Lynsey is always looking for ways to help. In the past, she has also volunteered with Indy Reads and the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, and in 2020 she helped to launch a grassroots group called Go Vote Indy that focuses on registering Indianapolis voters and providing free rides to the polls on Election Day.
Lynsey is from Ohio originally and moved to Indianapolis in 2011. Volunteering with Paws & Think has helped her to feel connected to the city and allowed her to help people and dogs in a meaningful way. She has loved being a part of the organization’s evolution since 2014. “It’s been really amazing seeing Paws & Think grow over the years! And probably my favorite thing about volunteering (other than petting so many good dogs) has been helping to share the success stories. Paws & Think helps so many people with their programs and I feel lucky to be a part of that.”
