Tammi K Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 That's so great! Yay for you!!! And, Yay for the shelter. It sounds like they have a great volunteer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 (edited) dp Edited November 1, 2017 by Tammi K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 I'm so happy for you. It sounds like a great fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 fwiw, what you're describing sounds totally normal at most shelters. That whole not knowing what to do and what needs doing etc is not you, that's just how almost all of them end up running. In some of the really super organized and highly staffed places you get assigned to a mentor for the first few shifts but it's rare for that to work. Ds is supposed to have a mentor at his place that he's volunteering at but he's mostly been left to flail around on his own too. My kids and I have all been through this at shelters. If you give yourself a mental commitment to try it at least 6-8 shifts, you'll find by then that you sort of know what needs doing. Before you know it, you end up being the expert lol. Also, places that are largely run by volunteers sometimes just don't have strict rules about how to do things. Just clean and wipe and stack things whatever way makes sense based on what you see in the cupboards and shelves..... & actually what many places need is a long term stable volunteer who ends up taking some of the leadership roles. There are often leadership vacuums - someone just needs to start doing stuff and everyone else will copy them. You never know, it might be you who ends up being the leader :) As uncomfortable as it is, let yourself be uncomfortable and allow for the possibility of growing through this awkward phase. I agree. Dd and I were fortunate to have some structure to what we did and we started when there was a staff member who was all to happy to be interrupted to show us how to do things. They had procedures for how to clean a kennel when a dog pooped in it (lots of messes with puppies.) When dd stopped going due to other time commitments, they were in the process of having experienced volunteers act as "shift supervisors" to be a resource to new people. But it hadn't taken off yet. Heck, I've been working at my job at the tea shop for nearly 3 months and I still run across things I don't know how to do ... like mop the floors. Yes, I do know how to mop a floor, but not how they do it with their professional/industrial mop and bucket. I had been getting by with spot cleaning on days I had closed, and felt stupid about asking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 Having followed your adventure of trying to get out of the house more, I am so happy this looks like a good fit for you, Night Elf. Way to go! They need valuable and willing volunteers like you! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 Great!!! So happy it went well despite the awkward start. All the best with the volunteering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 Wow, Night Elf! I am so happy for you!!! The best part about you having jumped in on a busy Tuesday, is, compared to this first day, it can only get easier/less anxiety inducing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 SO AWESOME!!! What a great update. This is such a wonderful thing you are doing. Shelter volunteers are SO needed. Huge props and hugs to you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 Wow, you are my hero! Not only did you go, but you followed up, and now have a plan in place! You rock!!! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Any updates, Night Elf? How has it been going? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 Any updates, Night Elf? How has it been going? I went again Wednesday and am going this afternoon, both to do cat socialization. There are two adult cat rooms and one kitten room. I spent 30 minutes in each adult cat room and 20 minutes in the kitten room. Then I met another volunteer, I think he said his name was Paul, and we went around together cleaning litter boxes and he showed me where all the supplies were. So I should be able to do it myself today if no one else has beaten me to it. To be honest, it was kind of boring just playing with the cats. Really all I did was walk around the room and try to spend a couple of minutes with each one hanging out on a shelf. Then I sat on the floor and let the needy ones come to me. There were some hisses and I got some baby bites from the ones that didn't want to be petted. I can't see how they're going to be adopted. I'm scheduled to go 3 mornings next week to help clean. I might do some afternoon socializing as well. We'll see. So my DH laughs at the type of stuff that worries me. Here's one. The trash can that we use for litter cleaning is a tall kitchen kind. The bags, however, don't seem to fit it well. The bag was on so tight it was hard to get out of the can. And when I went to put the new one in, I couldn't stretch the bag over the rim of the can. Paul had to do it for me. So if I have to do it myself today, what am I going to do? I'll just have to lay the bag over the rim and hope someone comes along and fixes it and doesn't curse me for leaving it undone. Thanks for asking! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 . There were some hisses and I got some baby bites from the ones that didn't want to be petted. I can't see how they're going to be adopted. Well, that's part of the whole point of the socializing. It's not just to keep the social ones company, but to teach the scaredycats that people are nice and safe. Your patience and commitment and being a safe person to approach - or to choose to just watch from afar- is what might make the difference between being adopted or not. It's a wonderful thing you're doing! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 There were some hisses and I got some baby bites from the ones that didn't want to be petted. I can't see how they're going to be adopted. You never know. Part of why you are there is to help those fraidy cats. And, just because a cat doesn't like you, doesn't mean it won't like someone else! When I adopted my cat, she was lukewarm about other people. But from the moment I first opened her cage, she jumped into my arms and purred liked mad. And she still doesn't like others. (She doesn't bite; she's a hider.) Anyway, I hope you continue to do this and let us know how it goes! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I went again Wednesday and am going this afternoon, both to do cat socialization. There are two adult cat rooms and one kitten room. I spent 30 minutes in each adult cat room and 20 minutes in the kitten room. Then I met another volunteer, I think he said his name was Paul, and we went around together cleaning litter boxes and he showed me where all the supplies were. So I should be able to do it myself today if no one else has beaten me to it. To be honest, it was kind of boring just playing with the cats. Really all I did was walk around the room and try to spend a couple of minutes with each one hanging out on a shelf. Then I sat on the floor and let the needy ones come to me. There were some hisses and I got some baby bites from the ones that didn't want to be petted. I can't see how they're going to be adopted. I'm scheduled to go 3 mornings next week to help clean. I might do some afternoon socializing as well. We'll see. So my DH laughs at the type of stuff that worries me. Here's one. The trash can that we use for litter cleaning is a tall kitchen kind. The bags, however, don't seem to fit it well. The bag was on so tight it was hard to get out of the can. And when I went to put the new one in, I couldn't stretch the bag over the rim of the can. Paul had to do it for me. So if I have to do it myself today, what am I going to do? I'll just have to lay the bag over the rim and hope someone comes along and fixes it and doesn't curse me for leaving it undone. Thanks for asking! Wonderful to hear! Sounds like a great start. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 👠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 You never know. Part of why you are there is to help those fraidy cats. And, just because a cat doesn't like you, doesn't mean it won't like someone else! When I adopted my cat, she was lukewarm about other people. But from the moment I first opened her cage, she jumped into my arms and purred liked mad. And she still doesn't like others. (She doesn't bite; she's a hider.) Anyway, I hope you continue to do this and let us know how it goes! We occasionally visit the cat cabin at one of our local rescues. Lots of mean and shy cats living there, and it's understandable. They're an indoor colony instead of an outdoor one. But some of them do manage to capture hearts. One of our favorites was there for *years*. She never liked us, but she finally won someone's heart a few months ago! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I really admire your follow-through, Night Elf. Keep going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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