Volunteer Spotlight

Morning Volunteer of the Year- Duanea Myers

It has been three and half years since Duanea found Simply Cats. Lucky us!
When I first started, I heard nothing but incredible things about her. “Reliable Dunanea”. “Flexible Dunanea, “Up for Anything Dunanea” “Super Sweet Duanea” and so on. When I finally met her all of these accolades proved to be true and then some!

She has been involved with the shelter in so many ways.
When she first started, she helped out at reception and assisted with kennel cleaning.
Then, she moved on to adoption room cleaning. Thursday mornings are dynamite due to Duanea. She is such a busy bee when she is here- zipping around and super focused on each room and each cat. I am amazed at how efficient and productive she is!

Duanea also volunteers to help with any and all special events. This past October she helped us set up outside for our Paws, Pints and Vines fundraiser. It happened to be a record high that day and it was HOT. That didn’t seem to stop her- she rolled up her sleeves and dug in in her typical can-do fashion. In 2011, she also assisted us with set up and decorating for Catsino and was here at the crack of dawn to help us get ready for the yard sale. I should mention that is was raining that morning as we set up. No worries- it didn’t stop Duanea one bit.

Every time we need volunteers to help get the newsletters ready for mailing she is there- often before or after her adoption room cleaning shift.

Duanea is simply awesome. She’s an advocate for homeless cats and a tireless true blue volunteer. We really appreciate her and her smile. We would be at a loss without her.

Afternoon Volunteer of the Year- Mollie Frisch

We absolutely love having Mollie around. Mollie started off volunteering with us through a service learning program with Boise State University. She was only required to volunteer for 15 hours and then her commitment to Simply Cats would be over.

Many students have come and gone from this program but Mollie stood out. We were thrilled with her enthusiasm and hard work.  Imagine my delight when the 15 required hours ended and she told me she wanted to stay. YAY! I was thrilled. That was two years ago and that feeling has not worn off one bit.

While many college students are sleeping in on Saturdays, Mollie is here assisting us with the many tasks that need to be done.  Whether it’s scooping litter, cleaning cat carriers and litter boxes, doing laundry or emptying the trash, she tackles every job with bubbly energy and determination. Being as she works in retail, we especially love it when she organizes the linen shelves for us. Looking at all those perfectly folded towels and blankets makes me happy!

What impresses us about Mollie is that she is a full time student at BSU. We know things must be really hectic between studying and working- and yet she is here every Saturday without fail, cheerfully assisting the shelter in all ways possible. She is always in a good mood so she keeps us smiling all day long. We are honored that Mollie has made time for us in her busy life and appreciate her commitment to Simply Cats. Thank You, Mollie!

Special Projects Volunteers of the Year- Nancy and Michael Klitus

On May 19, 2007, our ship came in at Simply Cats.  And on that ship was Nancy and Michael Klitus.  When I try to thank them for all they do, I always hear the same thing from Nancy: “You’re a nut! We don’t do much!” They are being very humble.

They started off their volunteer adventure five years ago, cleaning adoption rooms. First, it was Nancy and her granddaughter- then they managed to get Michael involved. Soon after, Michael and Nancy were recruited to help with special projects and that is what they do to this day. Where to start?

They are our go-to power couple when we have special event and shelter program flyers to get out to the community. They travel the entire Treasure Valley and distribute these promotional materials to over 20 locations- always at a moment’s notice and often more than once a month. They also pick up food and money donation boxes on a regular basis as well from these locations.

When 500 newsletters arrive several times a year to prep for mailing, Nancy and Michael are in charge. This is no easy task. Every newsletter needs an address label and closure seal and then all of them must be organized and counted by zipcode.  Believe me, it’s a pain! They are a whirlwind of activity and, with the help of a few extra volunteers, manage to get it all done within a day or two- and maintain smiles and good cheer throughout.

For our Bake Sale last year, Nancy baked dozens of rolls, bread and the best baguette this side of the Atlantic.  It is no wonder they all sold out within the first hour!

When we needed volunteers to assist with set up for our Paws, Pints and Vines fundraiser last October, Nancy and Michael (who also recruited a friend) did some serious heavy lifting! Tent, table and chair set up was needed- and was challenging in the wind.  Nancy has limitless energy and at 80 years old, Michael is hearty and going strong. They amaze me!

Nothing says dedication like the willingness to don a wizard costume in order to sell raffle tickets. That is exactly what Nancy did last month at our annual Catsino fundraiser. Who else would do that? No one except Nancy.  And lastly, Nancy just underwent two days of training to assist us with in-house and mobile adoptions.
The Klitus’ are generous, hilarious, hard-working and unique. I absolutely adore them. Speak with them for 5 seconds and I’m sure you will agree. With these two on our team- it’s always smooth sailing!

Special Projects Volunteers of the Year- Barbara Lyon and Stephen Palley

Spring is upon us here at Simply Cats. The trees, shrubs and flowers in our Memorial Garden are beginning to bloom. And unfortunately so are the weeds!  It needs a tremendous amount of maintenance and upkeep. The garden looks beautiful all spring and summer long due to Barbara. Gardening is very physical work and Barbara spends hours bending, kneeling and “digging in” so to speak!  She prunes branches, fertilizes, pulls weeds, spreads mulch and much, much more. The Memorial Garden is a very special place for staff and visitors so we cannot thank her enough for donating her time, talent and limitless energy to make it shine.
On top of this, she also helps out with prepping newsletter mailings and checks in often to see if there are any other special projects she can help out with. In March of last year, we got lucky when she recruited her husband Stephen to volunteer with her at Catsino. They signed up to serve appetizers to our guests, dove right in and did a fantastic job! Stephen is super out-going and one of the friendliest people I have ever met. So, I could not be happier when they both volunteered to serve beer at our Paws, Pints and Vines fundraiser last October and to sell raffle tickets for us at Catsino this year. This is not as easy as it seems. They had to wander through the crowd and ask total strangers for money. It looked like they had it all well under control and they raised several hundred dollars for the organization.
We are so fortunate that Barbara and Stephen found Simply Cats because we would be simply lost without them!

Of course, we are fortunate to have so many amazing volunteers. Each month, Volunteer Spotlight will profile one who makes a difference!

May Volunteer of the Month- Bob Tencate

Bob has been volunteering with us for more than a year and we are so glad he found us. As an adoption room cleaner on Monday mornings, Bob is very attentive to the cats and the rooms they are in. We really appreciate his gentle nature and attention to detail- it is obvious he really cares a lot about the cats- and our organization. Nearly every week, he brings money, food, litter and other needed supplies donated by his friends and colleagues. In fact, his co-workers must know how much Bob loves volunteering with us- for his birthday, they surprised him with an enormous bundle of items for the shelter- beautiful blankets, food, toys, treats and other goodies. I am sure all the kitties in the shelter sang Happy Birthday that day! We really appreciate him for his weekly commitment to the shelter (even though he is busy with his career and family) and for his tireless advocacy for the organization. Thank you for everything, Bob!