My experience of volunteering at APROP
As one of the newer volunteers at Aprop, I’ve been asked by management to write a few words about how I came to choose this great charity and my experiences over the past 10 or so months, in the hope it inspires more volunteers to come forward, so here goes.
Following early retirement and a planned permanent move to Orba, one of the things I knew I wanted to do was to get involved in volunteering of some kind so, being a cat lover, the obvious next step was to research cat charities in the area and that is how I came across Aprop. Having joined the Cats of Aprop Facebook group while still in the UK planning my move, I saw an appeal for new volunteers and made contact with Sam & Chris around 7 or 8 months before I moved to Spain, saying I’d be keen to get involved. So, just 2 weeks after I landed in Odba, I made my first of many trips to the shelter, a short drive away in Pego, where I was warmly welcomed by Chris & Carmen and put straight to work cleaning the pens and meeting the cats, many of whom I had already got to know through their Facebook posts. Within a few weeks, I was ‘encouraged’ to join the adoptions team, a role I really enjoy as I get to have long, deep and meaningful conversations with the cats and experience the reward of playing some part, along with the other volunteers, in helping them find their forever homes. Sam and I certainly have a lot of fun putting the Facebook posts together! I’ve also become involved with the fundraising team, trying to come up with new ideas to generate income for not just the cats, but the dogs supported by Aprop as well, planning and supporting events etc.
So in the past 10 months, there have been plenty of highs and one or two lows. I’ve occasionally been scratched and bitten, covered in fur and I’ve sifted a LOT of cat poo, but I’ve also spent many hours in the company of some super cats, helped to find a number of cats their forever homes, I’ve been licked and groomed, and I’ve even been lucky enough to witness kittens being born at the shelter. I’ve also enjoyed attending a number of Aprop fundraising events and as a direct result of my volunteering, I’ve met lots of amazing people and made many new friends. I have also established other new contacts outside the immediate Aprop family, AND I get to spend as much time as I want to with a lot of brilliant cats!
So, if you’re thinking about volunteering but not sure what it entails or what to do next, please do get in touch; we’d be delighted to meet you. You can offer a little or as much time as you want to and put your skills to great use supporting this brilliant charity and helping rescue and re-home cats in our area.
