SAFe rescue is pleased to announce our first Volunteer of the Month for 2021: Mohan! Mohan has been with the rescue since 2018 and over the course of his three years with us, he has contributed to helping the lives of many homeless cats. He is a big piece of the puzzle here at SAFe as Mohan assists our adoptions team through his role as Adoption Counselor. As a volunteer adoption counselor, Mohan helps out the SAFe staff by getting the kitties adopted through speaking to potential adopters, showing them potential matches, and taking them through the adoption process.
For Mohan, volunteering comes with many opportunities to learn. He explains that volunteering with SAFe is an amazing way to learn about cats! “I have never had any pets growing up, so I wanted to volunteer before I adopted a cat. Volunteering at SAFe helped me learn how to care for cats and gave me the opportunity to decide if it is a responsibility that I was fully committed to. Of the shelters in the area, SAFe had the easiest way of onboarding/signing up to be a volunteer and even though the commute was longer than I wanted, it was an easy choice.”
Mohan has been in the Seattle area for 3 years now and in that time, he has put in over 250 hours of volunteering! With all the unexpected changes this year, he is still working hard to keep himself happy and healthy through following the CDC guidelines and working on his hobbies. “I am following the guidelines issued by the authorities and stepping outside only for essentials like groceries etc. Working from home has freed up a good chunk of time in the day that I was commuting, I have been trying to spend that extra time on hobbies or just relaxing.” Similar to many of us, Mohan is looking forward to being able to attend brunch with friends when it is safe and is looking forward to returning to the rescue!
As many volunteers can attest, the joy of seeing a cat leave the rescue in the arms of their adopter is the best part of what they do. Helping our community and homeless cats find each other is a wonderful experience to be part of. All volunteering comes with its own challenges, too. For Mohan, one of the challenges of volunteering in his role is managing the expectations of potential adopters. It can certainly be disappointing for adopters if the kitty they were hoping for is no longer available or turns out not to be a good fit for their household—but Mohan perseveres to help families end up with the purr-fect feline.
Even the many events of 2020 did not stop Mohan from helping homeless cats. He was one of the first volunteers to assist SAFe with our transfer to online adoptions. Since adoptions look a little different now, Mohan’s primary role is helping out the staff in doing paperwork and email.
Mohan says, “I like volunteering because it is a way of giving back to the community that I am part of, and SAFe has been an important part of my life since I moved to Seattle. Everyone is welcoming and are always excited to hear about my cat (even though we are all surrounded by many cats), and helping other people find the joy of giving cats home is a good experience for me.”
Through all the unexpected changes of 2020, Mohan has been there to help cats and the people who love them. He’s looking forward to helping many more cats find families in 2021. Thank you for your dedication, Mohan!
