Nalicia Petersen: Volunteer Spotlight
“I’ve been volunteering with Furry Friends for about two months,” Nalicia says. “My daughter and I went to the Milky & Coco’s Cat Café on the day it opened and I saw an opportunity for volunteering there online that night. I contacted Furry Friends and the rest is history!
“Although I’m only scheduled for two hours a week, I tend to pick up several more shifts throughout the week. As a volunteer at the Café, I take care of the adoptable cats while they’re waiting for their forever homes. I especially enjoy seeing how happy the guests are when they’re interacting with the cats. It’s also heartwarming to witness the moment that somebody decides to adopt one and the excitement it brings to the entire room.
“My greatest challenge is time. Because I don’t have a lot of free time, I have to be very conscious of what I’m doing to make sure that everything gets done properly. On a personal level, I’m proud of the fact that I’ll be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in May! I never thought it would happen -- let alone in my mid-40’s!
“Outside of Furry Friends, I work for a domestic violence agency in Portland as an economic empowerment coordinator helping survivors set and reach financial goals after leaving their abusers. As to why I give back: my job can be very heavy and spending time with the cats is incredibly calming for me. It goes without saying then, that I’m particularly passionate about economic, systemic, cultural and social justice issues.
“At home, we have four rescue cats: Tator Tot, Casserole, Chicken Alfredo and Chorizo. Chorizo, formerly Jupiter, is our newest kitten from Furry Friends!
“Just for fun: I love being at the coast! We try to get there several times during the summer and fall months. Once I graduate from college, I hope to pick up some new hobbies.”
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Furry Friends Volunteer Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
