Gin Thorson is a long-time volunteer here at SAFe Rescue and also a SAFe adopter… And now she’s our latest SAFe Volunteer of the Month! Gin has been volunteering for SAFe since the summer of 2017 and has been a dedicated cat care team member since 2018. 348 hours later, Gin says that being a SAFe Rescue volunteer has not lost its luster and that throughout her time here, volunteering has only become a more rewarding experience.
Gin’s favorite part of doing cat care will always include the kitties, but her fellow volunteers are another important reason she stays. As Gin explains, “Coming in puts me in a good mood and I love the people I volunteer with because they are all so great. My mom passed away recently and I came in to volunteer that day and it just lifted my spirits. Volunteering really got me through that day, it took my mind off of it. It fosters friendships to be here.”
Luckily for Gin, the friendships she made helped her find one of her kitties, Freyja, who was the primary reason that Gin began her volunteering adventures with SAFe! Gin began her rescue cat search online and saw the profile of a kitty at SAFe Rescue. However, when she arrived the line of eager adopters was out the door and Gin was unable to meet the kitten she had seen online. She decided to stay and volunteer instead: “It was so busy I figured it must be an amazing place if there were all these people!”
Gin knew her search wasn’t over and began volunteering at SAFe in hopes she would come across the perfect match through her volunteering… And that is exactly what happened! “It was a great experience. I told the vet tech at the time what I was looking for and she told me my kitty was in ISO [the rescue’s medical treatment room] and was 6-7 weeks old, so I started taking a peek every time I came in. It took 4 months for her to become adoptable, but I just kept track of this cat. The vet tech showed me videos of her and helped me set it up to see her at the foster home when she became healthy and adoptable. At first, she did not like me and was fearful and she hid under the bed for three days. Patience and toys got her out. Now she is a lap cat and a total princess.”
Gin’s advice for potential volunteers is don’t hesitate! “A lot of people are hesitant to volunteer, just go for it! It will benefit you and the cats. It truly is a paw-sitive experience.”
