Volunteer of the Month - September 2022

This month we’re celebrating Aleina Spigelman, Matthew Glade and their children Mars, Ella and Sprite, a family of volunteers whose dedication to kitties makes them invaluable members of the VOKRA team.

Here they tell us in their own words why they volunteer with VOKRA:

How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?

We started fostering on a whim, really. We love kittens, and Aleina refused to allow Matthew to adopt any more, so fostering seemed like a good compromise.

How long and in what capacity have you been volunteering?

We foster, mostly. We've had a pile of kittens come through here (including two who 'failed' to leave and are now co-fosters; they love their foster kittens). Matthew also volunteers as a vaccinator (Aleina sometimes goes along with him to 'help' by petting kittens - they need lots of pets!)

What is your favourite part of volunteering?

It's pretty simple, we just love kittens. They're hilarious and cuddly and fun. And it is a great learning experience in care for our kids. We've learned to bottle feed, to give vaccines, to bathe kittens, to deal with ringworm and upset tummies, to weigh a wiggly kitten (okay, we aren't always successful at that last one). And while we are sad every time they leave us for furever homes, we feel so good knowing that we saved a kitty from a rough and short life on the street, and set them on their way to lives of luxury and of being doted on the way cats *know* they deserve.

Do you have a favourite kitty(s) you have met or a favourite story from your time with VOKRA?

At the very beginning of the pandemic we 'won the lottery' when we were offered a pregnant mama kitty - a beautiful (rare) female orange kitty we named Lemon. With us working from home and our three kids home-schooling because of the pandemic, we figured that was a perfect time for a new experience. We figured she would have 3 or 4 kittens, and we would get the experience of birth and brand new kittens, with lots of help from the kids. Well, she had EIGHT KITTENS. Eight! That's a lot of kittens. Added to our four resident cats, we had a full house with 13 cats. It was insane, and hilarious, and soooo much fun! We spent a lot of time sitting on the floor of our kitchen, where they were kept until they could climb the barriers, drinking tea and laughing at kittens. Despite the craziness of it all, it was super fun, and really great for our family's mental health at a tough time!

It is also worth noting the ‘ringworm’ litter we took: six kittens recovering from severe ringworm infection. We set up a family assembly line to bath and treat them, it was poetry in motion! The reward of seeing those poor sick kittens get strong and happy and go to wonderful homes was really incredible. The challenging ones - sick, spicy, feral, etc - are so worth the effort to turn that around for them.

Would you like to add anything else?

Matthew would keep *all* the kittens. Which means Aleina has to be the 'strong' one and adopt them out. She wants you all to know that it clearly isn't fair and Matthew (and the kids) should *totally* stop trying to adopt every foster. LOL

Here's what foster coordinator Jen Duggan has to say about Aleina, Matthew and their kids:

"Aleina, Matthew and their children are a wonderful, long-time VOKRA foster family that have welcomed many foster kitties into their home over the years. Aleina and Matthew are always keen to foster and they have never said no to kitties in need of a foster home. Not only that, but they have taken on many challenging cases - bottle feeders, unsocialized kittens, flea-infested kittens, and even several litters with ringworm! Even with all of the extra effort required by some of their more challenging cases (such as having 6 ringworm kittens at once!), they always manage to maintain a positive attitude and good sense of humour. What I especially love about Aleina and Matthew is that they treat every foster kitty like they are their own - they shower them with love, attention and any TLC needed! They are truly gems and I am extremely grateful for their ongoing enthusiasm to foster."

THANK YOU Aleina, Matthew, Mars, Ella and Sprite for all the time and effort you spend fostering cats and kittens of all ages. We very much appreciate the care and attention you put in to helping these kitties!

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we clearly couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hardworking team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

VOKRA’s always in need of volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering click here.