Sarah Joyce Volunteer Spotlight

I have volunteered with Furry Friends for nearly a year. The reason I did was because my co-worker and friend is the volunteer coordinator, and she was always talking about the cats. It made me want to get involved too!

I volunteer every Sunday for about two hours, depending on how much there is to do. What I love most, beside cat cuddles, is seeing cats get more comfortable, friendly and confident over time. It breaks my heart to hear about the sad circumstances they sometimes come from. But, on the flip side, seeing their resilience and their willingness to open themselves up to new people touches my heart.

 My biggest challenge: I hate hearing about irresponsible owners or those who place their kitties in dangerous situations. My proudest moment: whenever someone asks what I’m doing with my Sunday nights and I mention where I volunteer! I give back because I think it’s important to spend time making my community a better place. That I get to do so with kitties is a huge plus.

A Contracts Administrator at ZoomInfo in downtown Vancouver, I have two 1-year-old kitties at home (both adopted from Furry Friends): Oreo, a handsome and neurotic Tuxedo cat and Tofu, a friendly and athletic lynx-point Siamese. When I adopted Oreo from a foster at Furry Friends in May of 2023, he immediately ruled the roost. Then, in December of 2023, I met Tofu (formerly Banks) while volunteering, and fell in love with his spunky and outgoing nature. I brought him home thinking I would have to keep them separated for a few weeks before introducing them, but they surprised me. Straight out of the carrier, Tofu started purring, and Oreo was curious. They immediately began playing with each other and they’ve been inseparable since then. It’s rare to see one without the other.

 In my spare time, I oil paint, play video games, hike and paddleboard.

  ___________________________________________________________

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.