Another Volunteer Opportunity

Last week, I blogged about volunteering at PetSmart. While I do think this is a worthy cause, and I'm excited to get to spend a little time with kitties once a week, I really wanted to do something that would have a positive impact on people, not just animals. :) So I filled out an application to volunteer for the American Cancer Society!

The volunteer coordinator called me pretty quickly, but it was right before Thanksgiving. Things got hectic; we ended up playing some phone tag. But I finally was able to chat with her briefly last week. I met her on Monday, when she took me out to lunch and explained some of the opportunities they currently have available for volunteers. Then we went over to the local hospital so she could show me what I'll most likely be working with.

I'm not sure how widespread it is, but in this area, the American Cancer Society has recently started "Cancer Resource Centers" in the local hospitals and oncology centers. Basically, this is a place where cancer patients and their caregivers can come to get more information and support. There are pamphlets which give more information about specific types of cancers and their treatments. People can sign up to be provided with rides to and from chemo treatments. On Monday, the Resource Center had a basket full of hats and scarves that patients could take since the weather has gotten so cold lately.

I'll need to fill out a separate application for volunteering at the hospital, but hopefully within a few weeks, I'll be able to start working at the Cancer Resource Center at the local hospital! The volunteer coordinator is really excited to make these centers even more useful and organized, so she's also hoping that I'll be able to serve on a committee that will help to organize these centers!

I'm really excited for these opportunities. Obviously, cancer is something that affects all of us in some way. Is there anyone these days who doesn't know someone who has had to deal with cancer? On a personal note, my grandmother had breast cancer, and my dad has had cancer a couple of times. Shawn lost both his dad and his uncle to cancer a few years ago, and Shawn's brother survived cancer when he was in high school. Frankly, we never know when cancer is going to be diagnosed in someone that we love (or even ourselves). As long as I'm healthy, I'd really like to do what I can to help those who are dealing with the disease!

Volunteering

When I was in high school, I volunteered at lots of different events and organizations. I always loved doing it. It was so rewarding to spend my time doing things that would help other people. I haven't done any volunteering in awhile, but it was hard to find the time to squeeze anything else in that needed to be done regularly when I was teaching, coaching Mock Trial, working at the Pepsi Center, taking grad classes, spending a little time with Shawn on the weekends...you get the idea.

But since we've moved to Washington...well, I've got nothing but time these days. A few weeks ago, I began thinking again about volunteering. What was my excuse now for not doing it? Granted, I was hoping to start substitute teaching (which has obviously not exactly panned out for me), but even with that, I'd still have plenty of time in the late afternoons or evening. And with rugby, Shawn is gone at training at least twice a week.

So I started doing a little research, and I found two organizations that I thought would be fun to volunteer with. I filled out online applications for both, and I was able to get started with one of them really quickly! (Just FYI...I'll blog about the other organization next week, after I have a meeting with the volunteer coordinator on Monday!)

I am now officially a volunteer with Purrfect Pals. Purrfect Pals is the world's largest cats-only adoption organization and sanctuary. The Saturday before Thanksgiving, I went to an orientation meeting at the main shelter, and I was able to tour the facility and learn a lot about this great organization. If you're interested in reading more about it, click here to go to their website.

What I get to do is play with cats! Well...and clean their cages and freshen their food and water. :-) Purrfect Pals is the group that provides the cats that are up for adoption at my local PetSmart. So on Monday, I had my in-store training, and this afternoon, I had my first solo volunteer shift! It's probably a good thing that Shawn is really allergic to cats, or I may have already brought one or two home with me this week. :-)

Here are a couple of the cats that I've been able to hang out with this week:

This is Bubba. He's an adorable black Persian kitty with a smooshed in face.

This is Gretchen. She's sweet, but probably the fattest cat I've ever seen. She waddles when she walks. She's on a diet. :)

These two are Mandy (the tabby) and Miss Muffet (the black and white one). I doubt they're actually sisters, but they're the same age and will hopefully be adopted together. They're awfully shy, but I did manage to get both of them to come out of the cage this afternoon to play with a toy. Miss Muffet wasn't too fond of the little black kittens that we have this week, though.