Tracy Hill: Volunteer Spotlight
“Although I’ve only been volunteering since May 2026, my husband and I have been supporters of Furry Friends for several years,” says Tracy. “In fact, we’ve adopted four of our current five cats from them, and a number of our backyard strays and ferals have found homes through their wonderful services.
“I now volunteer at the shelter every other Saturday and helped out at their recent Bark for Life event. We contribute to the auctions as well: I’ve knitted hats and made various other items to donate. My favorite part of volunteering is knowing that I’m helping the cats and doing my part to be of assistance to them. Playing with them is great fun too, of course. My greatest challenge is not ending up with 38 cats! I fall in love with one during every shift, and must remind myself that, while I can’t adopt them all, I can certainly help them.
“While I hope to volunteer more in the future, I currently work full time in the Procurement Department of a health insurance company. Fortunately, they have a generous donation matching program, called ‘Dollars for Doers’ based on our volunteer hours, making my contributions go even further.
“I give back for many reasons, but principally because I want to be a positive light in the world. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘You may think your light is small, but it can make a big difference in other people’s lives. Let your light shine.’ I also love the Starfish Story (https://mindmapjournal.com/stories/kindness-stories/the-starfish-story/). The need for cat rescue is so great, but with each one we help, we’re making a difference, and I’m glad to be a small part of that.
“Just for fun: An enthusiastic knitter and sewist, I enjoy most crafts. I knit hats for Hats for Sailors and Nautilus 1954 (for Washington submariners). There’s always a hat on my needles! I also love to teach knitting and am now offering a beginner’s class at the Milky & Coco’s Kit-Tea Café.”
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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.
