Not only does Elaine own and operate a farm that boards horses, but she has dedicated her free time to helping homeless animals. This love of animals is what drew her to SICSA. She joined the organization because she thinks it’s important to give back to the community. Elaine also believes in SICSA’s mission to promote the welfare and adoption of companion animals and to nurture loving, lifelong relationships between animals and people. Volunteering at SICSA was a great way to combine all of these things.
Though she became an official volunteer a year and a half ago, Elaine had been involved with SICSA all the way back to the days of the little house on Wilmington Pike, both as a donor and fundraiser attendee. Since becoming a SICSA volunteer, Elaine has joined The Cat’s Meow planning committee, the Volunteer Recognition committee, and was elected as a volunteer representative on SICSA’s Board of Directors. She also fosters cats and kittens and assists with events like SICSA’s Lift Your Leg Run.
Elaine volunteers because she loves making a difference in the lives of the animals at SICSA. She explains, “We as a community all need to work together to end the problem of too many homeless pets.” Elaine does her part by fostering kittens, one of her favorite activities at SICSA. She enjoys the fun part of playing with and socializing these extremely cute kittens, but also understands the extreme importance of fostering.
Elaine says, “Given the physical space constraints of the SICSA building, the foster program really enables a much larger number of animals to be helped and ultimately find their forever homes.” Elaine thinks a lot about all of the kittens that she’s fostered during her time here. She knows that she’s made a difference in their lives by giving them time to find their forever homes.
Elaine already has some special memories surrounding SICSA. When we asked her to share one, she remembered an event that occurred one night when she brought her foster kittens in for Vet Check. There was a woman who was clearly upset, and had a pile of cat supplies surrounding her. Elaine learned that the woman was surrendering her cat and had chosen SICSA to help find the cat a new home. While they waited, Elaine answered the woman’s questions about SICSA’s cat program. She explained where the cats are housed and how well taken care of they are. Elaine was also amazed at the compassion that the staff showed this woman, who’d been faced with such a difficult decision.
Says Elaine, “I am proud to be a part of the SICSA Pack! The work that SICSA does in our community, from humane education to spay/neuter programs to helping homeless pets find their forever homes, is so vitally important.”
We thank Elaine for her dedication to SICSA and the impact she’s already made on the organization. We look forward to working with her for many years to come!
Interested in joining the SICSA Pack as a volunteer? Please visit our volunteer page for more information.
