CRAN News
September 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Kelsey McGrattan, CRAN’s Sept 2025 volunteer of the month!
Kelsey has been volunteering with CRAN since 2024. Kelsey is currently volunteering on the Marketing Team but has also volunteered in other areas of CRAN.
Lyllian B nominated Kelsey and in her nomination said:
“Kelsey has been volunteering with the marketing team since August of 2024 (she has been volunteering with CRAN in other areas since Feb of 2024) and has become an invaluable member of our team. She is a great team player which is so important in this kind of work. She takes initiative and helped us give our instagram and our social media posts a much-needed update. Her knowledge of social media and graphic design has been so helpful in creating more engagement. Kelsey is always willing to jump in and help with social media requests. She has used her talent to create great educational and fundraising posts and has volunteered to take over our quarterly newsletter. Her first newsletter was a great success and everyone appreciated the fresh look and great content. Thank you Kelsey!”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started Kelsey said:
“I’m honored—thank you so much!
I came to CRAN because at first I just wanted to add volunteer experience to my resume, but I loved the work CRAN was doing so much that I decided to help more as much as possible. I started volunteering my sophomore year of college, and I’m currently a senior. I wish I had started with CRAN earlier because I’ve had so many great experiences.
I like the freedom CRAN gives me to try out new ideas for social media and newsletters. They never stifle creativity, and everyone I’ve talked to in CRAN has been more than happy to help with anything I need. It’s been a great experience outside the classroom to experiment with social media marketing, which is possibly what I want to do when I graduate. Being able to work with such a dedicated team has been invaluable.”
Thank you Kelsey for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
August 2025 Volunteer of the Month!
Congratulations to Justin Kidd, CRAN’s August 2025 volunteer of the month!
Justin has been volunteering with CRAN since 2015 and is currently volunteering on the TLC team.
Louanne B nominated Justin and in her nomination said:
“Justin has been a steady presence at TLC. He feeds cats, he scoops litter boxes, he spends time visiting the cats at TLC, and he willingly scrubs and sanitizes the carriers, crates, litter boxes, and all sorts of miscellaneous equipment at TLC. He is always ready with a cheerful word for his fellow volunteers, and he truly wants to make life better for the cats and kittens in CRAN’s care.”
When asked what they liked about volunteering with CRAN and how they got started Justin said:
“I’m so honored, thank mew. I’ve done a lot of volunteer work in my life but have never been a volunteer of the month before. Volunteering is a great way to connect with other people who have a similar passion.
Animals have always meant a lot to me growing up on the farm as a scrawny Christian boy, they were my friends, they never judged me, never hurt me and always made me feel loved. Martha helped me get involved at TLC and I’ve met some beautiful souls who also share my appreciation for cats.
I very much look forward to being around the cats whenever I’m at TLC cleaning. I’ll never understand what drives people to abandon these amazing creatures. I love it when a cat comes to trust you and shows their true personality. Each cat is like a beautiful snowflake, each one is very special and unique.”
Thank you Justin for all your hard work taking care of the CRAN cats!
June 2025 Volunteers of the Month!
Congratulations to the Waugh family,
CRAN’s June 2025 volunteers of the month!
Patrick, Katie, Ryanne and Megan Waugh have been volunteering with CRAN since 2022. The Waughs are adopters who became volunteers, they started in the cattery at North then moved into being fosters. The Waughs have had 55 fosters since they started fostering for CRAN.
Marci S nominated the Waugh family and in her nomination said:
“Katie, her husband and two girls are amazing fosters. They have stuck with CRAN through the ups and downs and are always there for us.
They willingly take on a variety of challenges when needed and have a dedicated room just for their fosters. While fostering for CRAN the Waughs have taken mamas with babies, lots of kittens, VERY shy cats/kittens as well as outgoing cats/kittens. They step up for whatever the CRAN foster needs might be, even if the cat needing a foster is a bit spicy or difficult.
The Waughs have a great attitude and enjoy fostering as a family. They always exceed our expectations.”
When asked what they liked about volunteering with CRAN and how they got started Katie said:
“We adopted our resident kitties from CRAN in 2021 and were so impressed that when we found out we could volunteer, we jumped in to support. We started in the cattery at North. It was a great way to introduce the kids to the concept of volunteering at a young age. After doing that for about a year, we were chatting with the cattery coordinator about in-home fostering. We knew it would be hard to bond and then let them go but decided we could do it and have loved the experience!”
Thank you Waugh family for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
May 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Hanah Heurgue, CRAN’s May 2025 volunteer of the month!
Hanah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2022. Hanah volunteers at TLC and PetSmart cattery. Hanah also volunteered on the CRAN phone lines.
Louanne nominated Hanah and in her nomination said:
“Hanah Heurgue has been a CRAN volunteer since 2022. She has volunteered at the PetSmart North cattery and is a faithful volunteer at TLC as well. Hanah is a great communicator with the people who need to know what is going on with any particular cat or kitten within her volunteer role.
Hanah is professional, polite and kind when she raises concerns about a cat or is communicating a need. She is a valued member of the CRAN family.”
When asked what she likes about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started Hanah said:
“I started volunteering with CRAN through my place of employment in 2022. I started by volunteering at TLC once a week and I also volunteered for about a year on the CRAN phone intake line. CRAN has been such a fun place to volunteer at, I love being able to help all the kitties in need. I currently am not in a place where I can foster so I started volunteering at PetSmart as well as TLC. I really love being able to report back to the foster and adoption counselors on the cats I have helped take care of.
I recently made a suggestion that two cats that I helped care for be in foster and adopted together as I felt they were a bonded pair. Both cats went into foster together and their adopter was happy to take both the cats together. I was able to get CRAN nominated at my workplace, PenFed Credit Union, for our quarterly giving.”
Thank you Hanah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
April 2025 Volunteers of the Month
Congratulations to Monique and Brett B, CRAN’s April 2025 volunteers of the month!
Monique and her son, Brett, have been volunteering with CRAN since 2023. Monique and Brett have been valued volunteers at the PetSmart Cattery.
Nicki G nominated Monique and Brett and in her nomination said:
“Monique and her son, Brett, did an incredible job of navigating a very tough situation involving an upset person on one of their first shifts as CRAN volunteers. They handled themselves like senior volunteers, remained calm and worked as a team to calm the person and resolve the issue.
Brett is not only a valued volunteer with CRAN, he also has his own business called NinjaCat’s Toy Factory. Brett hand makes catnip toys and a different rescue is picked each month to be the recipient of these toys, sometimes it is CRAN. Brett has raised over $6,000 for rescues around the world.
When asked what they liked about volunteering with CRAN and how they got started Monique said:
“Brett and I started volunteering in 2023. We had moved to the area in 2022, and loved connecting with CRAN volunteers at local events where Brett supported CRAN through his business. We are a family full of cat lovers and wanted to do more for our local cat community, so we signed up to volunteer at the North cattery.
What we love most about volunteering is getting to connect with fellow cat lovers and help educate our community about the importance of rescue, fostering (we do that too – through another local rescue) spay/neuter, cat behavior and care, etc. We are both very passionate about making the world better for humans and cats alike, and volunteering is just one of many ways we get to do that. “
Thank you Monique and Brett for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
March 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Hannah Esquenazi, CRAN’s March 2025 volunteer of the month!
Hannah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. Hannah has been a valued volunteer at the PetSmart Cattery as well as an adoption finalizer.
Rachele R nominated Hannah and in her nomination said:
“Hannah E is a long-term volunteer at the PetSmart cattery on 29th & Willamette where she’s become known as the Cat Whisperer. Hannah can take the shyest kitty and have them purring and rubbing up against her. She freely offers tips to our other socializers to help them understand the quirks of each of our cats.
Hannah manages to consistently volunteer even though she has a full time job. Besides volunteering in the cattery, she also volunteers as a finalizer. After an adopter is approved for a particular cat, the finalizer meets with them, completes the adoption paperwork & hands over their new family member. Finalizers also take the photos of the smiling adopters & cats.
Hannah has finalized adoptions for over two years and she always has great advice for adopters. Hannah’s warmth and her love for cats is obvious to all who meet her.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started, Hannah said:
“I have been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. I was drawn to CRAN because I was looking for a charity to volunteer with that catered to animals, and as a cat owner and lover I loved what CRAN did and does for their hundreds of rescues and the model of having them in foster versus a facility with cages. I 100% believe a majority of the success of CRAN and the cats goes to them being socialized in foster homes.
What I love most about volunteering with CRAN is that I get to meet so many incredible kitties and help find their perfect homes. When I started I wanted to take them all with me, and now I just want them all to go to good homes with families that will love and cherish them.”
Thank you Hannah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
February 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Sarah Tuttle, CRAN’s February 2025 volunteer of the month!
Sarah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. She is a great addition to the TLC team and helps with transporting cats when needed.
Marci S nominated Sarah and in her nomination said:
“Sarah T has been a long time Volunteer at TLC. She has an amazing attitude and is always ready to help. She has been a very loyal, consistent, reliable volunteer. One who steps up to volunteer for extra when help is needed. She has bonded with many cats at TLC and has become an advocate for Sasha, one of our special cats. She has also volunteered to do cat transport and to cover other shifts when needed. She is amazing.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started Sarah said:
“I originally started volunteering in 2019 because of my love for animals. I wanted to be able to make a difference, while showing shelter cats a love that they may not have experienced.
I love being able to connect with cats. I love learning each of their personalities and earning their trust. I love bonding with them, including those that may be more difficult. Sasha is no exception. A difficult kitty indeed, that with time, and patience, grew into a loving relationship. All cats deserve that love. And I find joy in knowing I can love them, even if for only a short time.”
Thank you Sarah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
January 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Chris Blum, CRAN’s January 2025 volunteer of the month!
Chris has been volunteering with CRAN since 2020, starting out as a foster and is currently volunteering on the marketing team.
Lyllian B nominated Chris and in her nomination said:
“Chris Blum works with the marketing team promoting cats. She has been an awesome volunteer and has helped so much. She quickly learned the process and recently learned the Meta Business Suite when our old software was no longer working effectively. She manages to post cats at least every other day without fail. Getting these cats posted and scheduled is a lot of work. She even checked with me and scheduled cats ahead when she was going on an international trip over Christmas! When we’ve had special requests, she responds right away. She has even been willing to post items outside of her scope of work when asked. I appreciate Chris so much and all the effort she puts into helping to get CRAN cats promoted and adopted.”
When I asked Chris what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started she said:
“I began my journey with CRAN in April 2020, shortly after the loss of our beloved cat, Bugz. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we weren’t quite ready to adopt another cat, but the thought of a cat-less home was unbearable. That’s when I discovered the opportunity to foster cats with CRAN, and it seemed like the perfect solution. Over time, we fostered several pregnant cats, and the experience was incredibly rewarding. Not only did the kittens get to grow up in a home with two young boys and a dog, preparing them for any environment, but we also got to shower them with love and affection. Eventually, we adopted four of the kittens from one of the litters, and they have become cherished members of our family. After a year of fostering, I decided to shift my focus to helping CRAN with their social media efforts.
Volunteering with CRAN has been a fulfilling experience, and I’ve been inspired by the dedication of the organization and the positive impact that volunteering has on mental health. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to find a cause they’re passionate about and dedicate a few hours a week to making a difference.”
Thank you Chris for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
Volunteer of the Month – June 2023
Congratulations to Sydney Brisco, CRAN’s June Volunteer of the Month!
Sydney has been volunteering with CRAN since February 2021. She has fostered litters of squiggly little kittens, and recently, has started volunteering as part of the CRAN adoption team!
From Sydney:
“I came to CRAN originally as an adopter. I adopted my kitty Ronin (Versace) from CRAN way back when the medical facility was somebody’s outdoor shed. He had to go through ringworm treatment but he’s been the sweetest cat we’ve ever had and we appreciate every moment CRAN gave us with him. Later, I started volunteering when somebody posted on the CRAN Facebook page that if CRAN didn’t take their cat, he was going to just let her out. So I told him I would come get the cat and accidentally became a CRAN foster. The rest is history.
My favorite part of volunteering with CRAN is getting cats to their best homes and best lives. I love the happy endings. I still get updates on some of my fosters and I love the adoption photos from my counselor work. To see a family that is so happy to have their new kitty and a kitty that knows it’s found a safe and loving home is something that can’t be matched by any other experience.”
The picture is me and our foster failure Anthracite–Annie now 🙂 She knew from the moment I brought her home that she wasn’t leaving. It just took us a little while to figure it out!”
Thank you Sydney for all your hard work to help CRAN and the cats!
Volunteer of the Month – April 2023
Congratulations to Ryan York, CRAN’s Volunteer of the Month for April.
Ryan has been a steady volunteer presence in the cattery at Petsmart North since the world started re-emerging from COVID shutdowns. He is a regular in the cattery, checking on the CRAN kitties, ensuring they have food, water and attention. Ryan also trains new cattery volunteers.
From Ryan:
“What I enjoy:
I particularly enjoy the bittersweet moments when a cat goes home from our cattery – that mixture of sad farewell, relief that they found someone who cares, and excitement for their new life – and the dawning disappointment that I have to deep clean a cage *wry grin* Deliciously conflicting feelings.
What brought me to CRAN:
Especially after COVID we ALL wanted OUT!! Coupled with many years of stay-at-home parenting, and my partner’s mention of a cat rescue looking for volunteers, I was more than grateful for the opportunity to leave the house to PLAY WITH CATS!!”
From all of us, thank you so much for all you do for CRAN and the cats!
