At the Cat Alliance Team Sanctuary in Sherwood, Oregon, the residents are the ones other rescues passed over. The facility houses 140 cats, and most of them are considered unadoptable, which means they’ll spend their lives there. Every single one has a name and a story. Hobbit was born without eyelids. Tommy has an underbite that gives him a permanent look of mild concern.
Manager Reatha Larson says the sanctuary was built specifically for those cats, and keeping it running takes a steady crew of volunteers. One of them, Elizabeth Lindemann, has been showing up for about two years. She says the work brought her calm, a sense of accomplishment, and community during a difficult stretch of life, and that volunteering reminds her she’s needed and contributing to the world. Mayo Clinic research supports the idea that giving your time can lower stress and boost feel-good hormones.
For Suncoast listeners, the takeaway is simple. Whether you’re a retiree with open mornings or a snowbird looking for a way to plug in, our local shelters and rescues run on the same fuel: people who show up. The sanctuary in Oregon even welcomes parents and kids to volunteer together, so it can be a family effort. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, this might be the nudge. What’s holding you back from giving a few hours to animals who need them?
