VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3

When I was asked to write 500 words about my experiences volunteering for Folsom Feline Rescue, I wondered how I could possibly limit myself to so few words. You see, I've been an FFR volunteer for over 3 years and a lot has happened in that time.

I started volunteering for FFR when a close friend, Shannon, suggested I could not only help our feline friends, but meet a single guy who liked cats in the process. She encouraged me to come with her to a general meeting and as I entered the room nervously anticipating meeting Prince Charming holding a white Persian, I was greeted by several warm, lovely ladies. (Note to single guys out there: volunteering with FFR is a great way to meet a nice girl who likes cats.)

I soon forgot about my ulterior motive as I began to attend adoption events and learned many remarkable things. Most notably, I learned that by

spending just a little bit of my free time volunteering with animals, I was doing far more to help them than I had been doing on my own. Previously, I had been "adopting" any stray that came along in my neighborhood, taking them to my local vet for vaccinations and altering. It didn't take long to realize that even though my house had reached kitty capacity, the kitties didn't stop coming.

Working at the adoption events showed me that I did not have to take on the burden of saving all the world's cats. I saw the world was filled with big-hearted, caring people who wanted to open their homes to rescued kitties. Since I started volunteering with FFR, I have been directly involved in the adoption of more than 100 cats to wonderful homes where I know these kitties are loved like a member of the family. This is something I could have never done all by myself.

While my first foray into FFR was with adoption events, I've also become involved in many other activities. Each has served to show me how many wonderful animal-loving people there are in the community. There are many people who generously give their hard-earned money toward our fundraising efforts, such as the annual Catwalk, which grows exponentially each year. There are people who graciously enlist our help through our spay/neuter programs and assist in controlling pet overpopulation. There are the residents of the senior homes we visit with our kitties who take great delight in spending time with our furry friends and who entertain our volunteers with the stories of their lives.

In addition to the many wonderful people who support Folsom Feline Rescue from the outside, there are my fellow FFR volunteers, who unselfishly give their time and energy to making this organization a success. I have made so many wonderful friends through this group - friends that have now become like family. In our collective effort to support the goals of FFR, we've built the greatest support system helping felines and humans in the community. We work hard together, we make time to have fun and play together and we offer unconditional support to our fellow volunteers.

(Continued on page 7)