Debbie Baughman Volunteer Spotlight
Debbie and her family moved to Vancouver in 2016, and one year later, she began volunteering with Furry Friends.
“There was an agency in Vancouver that coordinated and tracked volunteer help for various agencies,” she explains. “I made an appointment to talk to a staff member who showed me a list of agencies requesting volunteers, and I promptly picked Furry Friends, working from between five to six hours a week.
“I help articulate the pictures in Nomi Berger’s ‘Cat Tales’ articles. Whenever she sends me a new article, I search for the perfect photos and/or diagrams to both suit the topic and cement the articles in our readers’ minds. I then post them on the Columbian newspaper blog site to appear every other Sunday. I post the same articles on the Furry Friends Facebook page to ensure that our readers have full access to everyone we publish.
“I also post a ‘Classic Cat Tales’ article every Wednesday on the Furry Friends Facebook page. This involves reviewing our record of approximately seven years of Nomi’s original ‘Cat Tales’ articles from the Columbian blog posts and choosing ones I think bear repeating.
“What I love most is that I can help make a difference and add emphasis to Nomi’s articles by incorporating those images related to and highlighting the subject matter. Not to mention being actively engaged from wherever I am -- using my laptop PC!
Cat Tale link: https://blogs.columbian.com/cat-tales/category/cat-tales/
“What I find most challenging, though, is ensuring that I keep track of what day/time it is ... lol. Since I’m now retired, it’s easier to lose track of when I have to post both versions of Nomi’s ‘Cat Tales.’”
As to why Debbie gives back? Because she’s so very thankful for all of the support she’s received in her lifetime, she wants to ensure that she fully supports the communities in which she lives.
Debbie started her career working for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Seattle Branch on March 26, 1979. She worked her way up through the ranks of their Check Processing organization and Check Adjustments, rotating through the various positions, allowing her a thorough understanding of their processes. She became a Project Manager and was then able to post for a job at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. There, she continued her work, ending her career as a Manager of the Billing area in the Financial Services Department.
“Besides Furry Friends, I volunteer at the North County Community Food Bank in Battle Ground for three hours twice a week, helping to feed the local community. I ensure that each ‘customer’s account is logged in correctly and kept up to date. I also volunteer as the bookkeeper for the Clark County Home Winemakers Club, of which I’ve been a member since 2018. Not only are we able, as a group, to get the best prices possible, we share ideas and techniques on making the best wine possible!
“At home, we have two tabby kitties, Mason and Maggie, a darling brother and sister duo. And besides my wine making, I dabble in creating jewelry.”
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Furry Friends Volunteer Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
