Volunteer of the Month - March 2023
This month we are celebrating Marissa Fyles, Recruitment Coordinator.
In this position, Marissa works from home. She reviews volunteer applications, conducts phone interviews, responds to email and phone inquiries and matches volunteers with suitable positions based on their skills, experience, and interests.
The act of volunteering is a selfless one, allowing us to gain new skills, new friends and a new perspective. It has been said that volunteering is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, reliability, learning and commitment. When you volunteer, you give a part of yourself, your time, your energy and your skills. It can be a one-time event or a lifetime activity.
“I have been working with Marissa over the past couple of months and have been very impressed with everything she’s done. She is really well organized, has great ideas for how to improve what we do, and is a great supporter for new volunteer applicants first coming into VOKRA. We are very lucky to have her.” ~ Jeanine McDonald, Interim Team Leader
How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?
My story is super simple; I just applied! I had been working in HR for three years and wanted to put my new skills towards something I was passionate about. Becoming a recruitment coordinator is a great way to put my new skills to use and help bring more people into this incredibly important organization.
How long and in what capacity have you been volunteering?
I started volunteering in March 2022 as a recruitment coordinator and have been there ever since.
What is your favourite part of volunteering?
Getting to speak to a wide variety of people who all share a common goal, to help out cats and kittens as much as possible. I always start every call with the question, “Why are you interested in volunteering?” 99% of the time, the answer begins with how much they love cats and want to do more to ensure their safety and well-being. Everyone has a unique story about why they want to volunteer, and it’s always great when we find their perfect role!
Do you have a favourite kitty you have met or a favourite story from your time with VOKRA?
Since I work entirely from home, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the VOKRA kitties. But I met many wonderful people (and a few cats) and the VOKRA Walk for the Kitties last year! It was such a fun event, and great to see so many people attended despite the rain.
In this blog I am sharing some pictures of me and my rental cat, Evan. I frequently look after Evan while his owner is out of town and love spending time with him! He keeps a strict schedule of going to bed at 10 pm, but only with a treat first!
Volunteers are an integral part of our organization. Without them, we could not rescue and find loving homes for the more than 1,800 kittens and cats VOKRA takes in each year.