Dawg Pound returns

At the spring opening of the Dawg Pound, front row, from left, adult patients Mike Cornely, George Bracken and Taty Manousakis; back row, from left, adult patient Danny Teresi and adult services instructors Nicole Puopolo and Deanna Willard.

Matheny’s Dawg Pound, a retail enterprise designed to sharpen practical work skills for patients and students, has launched its spring season with new inventory consisting of magnets, ponchos and pajama pants.

The Dawg Pound was begun four years ago with startup funds of $5,000 provided by The Friends of Matheny, our auxiliary group, and Village Office Supply of Somerset, NJ. The operations are divided into three departments:  marketing, finance and sales/inventory. Teamwork, budgeting, effective advertising and customer service are all skills that have been learned by those working in the Dawg Pound, named after Matheny’s mascot, the Bulldog.

Rasheedah Mahali uses her eyes to “catch” prospects for Dawg Pound merchandise.

Rasheedah Mahali believes she is a natural salesperson. And her belief has turned into reality, as she is currently the top seller among all Matheny patients and students who work in the Dawg Pound, the shop that offers items such as coffee mugs and water bottles for sale to Matheny employees.

“I use my eyes to catch them,” she says mischievously, talking about how she snags Matheny staff members as they walk through the rotunda on the way back and forth to the staff dining room.

Mahali is now looking forward to Family Day on June 24 when she will be able try out her selling skills on parents and siblings. And she is also preparing for Deals at Dust, a special promotion in the works for the 3-11 p.m. staff. While she is happy to sell anything the Dawg Pound has to offer, she says she’s had the most success with notebooks and pens.

The Dawg Pound was started in 2009 to hone practical work skills of Matheny patients and students. Startup funds were provided by The Friends of Matheny and Village Office Supply of Somerset, NJ.

A typical Dawg Pound display in Matheny’s rotunda area.

The Dawg Pound was launched in 2009 to sharpen practical work skills of Matheny patients and students. With startup funds of $5,000 provided by The Friends of Matheny auxiliary group and Village Office Supply of Somerset, NJ, the Dawg Pound participants were able to build a display kiosk and purchase inventory, which includes coffee mugs, water bottles and a variety of Matheny apparel items.

The operation is divided into three departments: marketing, finance, and sales/inventory. Teamwork, budgeting, effective advertising and customer service are all skills that have been learned by those working in the Dawg Pound, which was named after the Matheny teams’ mascot, the Bulldog. In addition to selling merchandise to Matheny employees, Dawg Pound participants sometimes set up shop at special events out in the community.