Volunteer Spotlight: Linda Rader
Linda Rader gives new meaning to the term “everyday hero.” While some might call her a crazy cat lady, we, at Furry Friends, call her “an angel here on earth.”
Linda Rader gives new meaning to the term “everyday hero.” While some might call her a crazy cat lady, we, at Furry Friends, call her “an angel here on earth.”
Volunteering at Furry Friends since 2019, Kailen, who’s always loved cats, works two hours a week and subs from time to time as well. A shift lead on the Thursday PM crew, she enjoys making the wet food and mixing together flavors to give the kitties something different to eat.
When Lyla and her husband moved to Vancouver, she longed to become part of the community, and began volunteering for us in March 2022.
Mary started working the Thursday evening shift at the Halfway House in February of 2020 with an awesome crew who has been together for ages. She also picks up the Tuesday voicemails and is on the auction committee.
I have been with Furry Friends for 5 years. I had looked online for volunteer opportunities when I got close to full retirement and Furry Friends looked like a good fit. Although I had been volunteering at the Humane Society, I wanted to focus more on cats.
After Joshua and his wife Kelli began fostering for Furry Friends two years ago, they quickly got involved with the Halfway House. Joshua then signed up to be a permanent sub, but soon found himself as a regular full-time shift volunteer for two hours on Wednesday nights.
I began with Furry Friends once I got my driver’s license at the start of 2021 during the pandemic. Since school and every other activity had been cancelled, I was looking for something to get me out of the house. Volunteering at a cat shelter seemed like the perfect option.
Amy has volunteered at Furry Friends since October 2022. The retired RN had seen a story about us on the news and knew that she wanted to help. She used to volunteer every Wednesday and Friday but had to stop once the school year started since she’s currently a substitute teacher.
I have been a volunteer for two years. I learned about Furry Friends in 2016 from a neighbor who was fostering kittens for you, and knew that I wanted to volunteer as soon as I retired from my full time job in Portland.
Wow what a great and challenging year Furry Friends has had! I will share our many amazing accomplishments in 2023 in this letter. First, I would like to send out a very heartfelt THANK YOU to all our supporters, volunteers, sponsors, and donors! Together with our Board of Directors, Leadership, Staff, and YOU, we have made a difference in so many lives and in many cases, we have saved lives! Give yourself the credit you deserve!
What an amazing year 2023 has been for Furry Friends! We have faced many challenges—and many successes– throughout the year, but the one thing that has always shined through is our commitment to the cats in our care.
Furry Friends is delighted to extend a warm welcome to volunteer Jim Grafmyre, who has joined our Executive Board. Jim holds the role of Facility Maintenance, Information Technology, and Security.
Kate Goudschaal has become an expert in caring for newborns—newborn kittens, that is. In her 15 years of fostering, she has volunteered for various animal rescue organizations, including Furry Friends, which she joined more than two years ago.
I’m unique in that I volunteer my writing skills to this amazing rescue in Vancouver, WA from my home in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! As for the journey that brought me here? Words are my passion and were my profession. A journalism graduate from The American University in Washington, D.C., I’m the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles.
Introducing our new Volunteer Coordinator, Kelli Thompson! Kelli has been volunteering with Furry Friends for a little over a year, and initially started out as one of our kitten foster
parents. In that amount of time, Kelli and her husband, Josh McClellan, have fostered 8 different litters of kittens! You may have also seen them at the Halfway House, since Kelli and Josh have
recently been working as House Shift substitutes as well.
Jazmynn Hoffman is our second paid staff member for Furry Friends! She is our House Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. She also assists with adoptions, intakes, babysitting kittens for fosters, and she recently started fostering kittens herself.
Karen Laksamana is one of our volunteers that works behind the scene. She has been involved with Furry Friends since about 2008. She designs our yearly print newsletter and she works on the fall auction fundraiser committee every year and volunteers at the event along with her mom Cherry Berry taking care of the data input. We asked Karen a few questions, here are her answers.
Mike and Tanika Campbell started with Furry Friends in 2012 by starting a food collection/donation at their work. This led into volunteering to be socializers and enrolling their lab in the pet assisted living therapy program. When Furry Friends made its big move into the current location they assisted with the tear down of everything, moving to the new place, yard work, and random handy work around the Halfway House. They also helped with in person events and kept four feral cat colonies fed over the years. Currently they are fosters for our medically needy adult cats, pregnant moms, & kittens. They are very good at coaxing cats out of their shells and getting them to trust people.
Following the pattern of many Furry Friends volunteers, Jennifer, or Jenn Hutchman does a lot. Both inside and outside of Furry Friends, she keeps very busy. Yet, despite being an independent consultant for the marketing company Scentsy and running an online auction, she gives about thirty hours a week to Furry Friends. Its twenty-four hours a day, of course, when she is fostering kittens. No matter how busy she is, however, she steps into the Halfway House ready to chat and a smile to give.
Brandi Towner is the newest member of our Executive Committee. She has taken on the tasks of secretary, adoption councilor and intake liaison. She comes to us with management, accounting and business skills. She works full time as a realtor at Sundin Realty, Inc and wants to donate the rest of her time to help the kitties in our care.
Brandi says, “I have always enjoyed volunteering at various organizations and helping within the community throughout the years. My strong passion to help animals led me to Furry Friends. Now, I not only get to help clients find their dream homes; I also get to find forever homes for all the amazing cats.”
Furry Friends Board of Directors also called Executive Committee
We are very happy to welcome Brandi to our Executive Committee. The board is comprised of select volunteers who oversee the activities of Furry Friends. The members of the board are responsible for governing the organization, approving budgets, approving an organization’s policies and other similar tasks. Board members have an obligation of allegiance, care and duty to Furry Friends. We seek to fulfill our mission statement by providing advice and implementing long-term goals that will assist Furry Friends in planning for the future and creating the vision of what it will become.
Have you met Jaimie Garver? If not, chances are you will if you drop by the Halfway House even occasionally. This powerhouse, despite having only been a volunteer for less than two years, has taken on the demanding position of Furry Friends president. What’s more, she’s not just president, but is currently lead of park events, the grant team, the fundraising team, medical team, and Halfway House coordinator. That’s a mouthful to say and even more to do. So, how did she get to dedicating so many hours a week to Furry Friends?
You may know Nomi from the Cat Tale stories and the Furry Friends Fur-Ever stories she does for us. However there is much more to this lady. See what she has to say about herself!