Lily Conway
Steven Blalock
IA Scholars
September 30, 2018
IA Reflection #1
On August 25th, I had the opportunity to fulfill my service requirement. I volunteered with Buck-I-Serve and went with a small group made out of International Affair students to help out the Cat Welfare Association of Columbus. They are a non-profit organization with a focus on rehabilitating stray cats so that they have a chance to be adopted into a loving home. The Cat Welfare Association also spays and neuters all of their cats because of the overpopulation of domestic pets in America. Not only do they provide a welcoming, safe environment for the cats, they also offer enrichment for the cats so they are kept stimulated. My favorite aspect of the non-profit is a section of the building sectioned off specifically for shy cats. To get the timid cats used to people, children (or anyone) are encouraged to read books out loud to the cats so they can become accustomed to the sound of human voices.
When our volunteer group arrived at the shelter, we were split into groups that were assigned different activities. The group I was assigned to was given the task of folding washed beds and blankets into organized tubs so that the clean items wouldn’t get mixed with the dirty ones. Cleanliness was of utmost importance in the shelter and I could see why. Having literally thousands of cats in one building made it tricky to keep things sanitary, but the shelter was doing a stellar job of it by being organized and having strict rules. The food dishes and the litter boxes were tucked away separately in different corners of every room and not once did I spot any sign of cat waste. I didn’t even see a hairball! You were encouraged to pet the cats, but once you did you were required to use hand sanitizer after each cat. The sick cats were kept together in one room as not to infect the others and the kittens were kept together as well. After we had finished folding the towels and beds, we decided to read to the shy cats. At first, we felt foolish but once we continued for a bit it seemed as though we were actually making a difference! After a few minutes, some cats who refused to even peak their heads out of their hideaways were coming out to investigate us. I had no idea that something so trivial could have such an impact. It felt good knowing that our actions could potentially help these cats find a new home.
Personally, I have a huge soft spot for animals so seeing all those cats without homes saddened me. At the same time, seeing the devoted workers at the shelter gave me hope. Knowing that there were people in the world who were kind and selfless enough to put other creatures before themselves inspired me to do the same. It takes small actions to make big changes. Changing the world doesn’t start at the global level, it starts in your local communities. It starts with you.