Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Rizzo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lauren. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always had cats; when I was born, my parents already had a cat. There’s only be a 3 month period in my life where I haven’t had a cat: when I was 15 — and it was short because I cried and begged my parents for another cat. We got Rudy, and then about 2 years later, I broke down and cried and begged my parents and we got Casper: the cat who is the reason I do everything that I do.
When I moved into dorms in college, my cat lived with my parents (no pets allowed) so I needed a “cat fix.” I signed up for weekly volunteering for a local cat rescue. I ended up being with that rescue for 8 years, the last 4 of which on the board, serving as Public Relations and Outreach Coordinator. After working a large-scale hoarding case (200+ cats) in 2008-2009, I was burnt out — physically, emotionally, and mentally. I resigned from that rescue, needing a break.
Of course, they say rescue is like the mafia; once you’re in, you can’t get out. So just a year later, I was in talks with a few good friends (after being approached by others in rescue asking me to join their teams) about the possibility of starting our own rescue. And, in 2011 we incorporated, and 2017, here we are.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is anything in life worth doing ever “smooth”?
There have definitely been ups and downs, and I have a saying, “if it’s not chaos, it’s not cat rescue.” Most of the struggles I think have to deal with the unpredictability that is rescue: you never know what’s going to happen next. Sure, there are “kitten seasons” and “return seasons” but there’s no guaranteed income to ensure we can do our work, yet there is ALWAYS guaranteed intake of animals in need.
Another struggle is the passion that goes into rescue. We’re working with lives here; and while our hearts want to do everything, our non-profit budgets don’t always align, making the logistics of some situations just not feasible.
At St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines, we’re all volunteers — every single one of us; there are NO paid positions. And sometimes that’s hard to remember. We’re all doing this because we want to, because we have the drive and the heart and the passion and the pull to do so. And sometimes, this thing called “life” gets in the way, and so the volunteers we count on can’t do what needs to get done, and that’s always a struggle. Wanting to do it all and realizing we have limitations — I think that is the core of all struggles.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines is a foster-based cat rescue serving DuPage, Cook and surrounding Chicagoland communities. Established in 2010 and operated by dedicated volunteers, St. Sophia’s strives to be the best in temporary care for cats in transition, whether abandoned, abused or surrendered. St. Sophia’s works with high-volume/high-kill animal controls, such as Chicago Animal Care and Control, to save cats from needless euthanasia. Our emphasis is on “temporary care” – we work to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome. We don’t aim to keep cats forever (because then we can’t save more!) We are also known in rescue circles for taking special needs cases where other may not be able to: whether FIV positive, or in need of special medical care. Nearly 3,000 cats have been rescued, rehabilitated and found forever homes with St. Sophia’s help.
Our cats are primarily cared for in foster homes and receive individualized attention to help them reach their full potential and get ready for their second chance at a forever home. St. Sophia’s recently opened its first open cat room adoption center, located at 112 E. Chicago Ave. in Westmont, and primarily works with area stores including PetCo and Pet Supplies Plus to house and care for cats ready for adoption. The organization was recently recognized with a Community Improvement Award from Westmont Chamber of Commerce – awarded for the group’s effort to improve the communities we serve. St. Sophia’s is 100 percent reliant on individual and business donations, fundraising and grants to continue its mission.
I’m most proud of my team. Our St. Sophia’s volunteers aren’t employees, but they aren’t just colleagues; these are people that I very proudly call my family. The support our team has for each other, the way we’re able to pull together the seemingly impossible (even after the tears and struggles) never ceases to amaze me, and without our team of dedicated, hard-working, and fiercely loyal people, we’d not be where we are today.
With cat rescue, you never really know what’s going to happen next. This past October we made a huge leap from being foster-based to having a small location (located in Westmont) — it was a big change to me personally (the office and supplies are now no longer in my basement) and to us as a team (the year-long hard work of getting our facility ready, and the maintenance/upkeep). The 1,000-square foot facility serves as our “hub” where our fosters and volunteers can get supplies, where our office team can manage records, where we can host small events and adoptions, and where we house a rotating population of roughly 10 cats. We’ve been applying for grants to help with some new projects, and recently won a grant from Petco Foundation for $10,000 to help with our “Back to Beautiful Fund” which goes towards helping cats with major injuries recover and get into homes. We see more projects like this coming in the next few years.
What were you like growing up?
I was the shy, book-ish kid who occasionally misbehaved, and was outspoken when I truly believed in something.
Pricing:
- Adoption fees for our cats vary: $75 for adults, $100 for kittens, $40 for adult black cats, $40 adults with special needs
- Fees cover: vaccinations, spay/neuter, microchipping, worming & parasite treatment, Feline Leuk/FIV combo test
Contact Info:
- Address: Our shelter/headquarters is located at 112 E. Chicago Ave., in Westmont, IL; we have kennels in several pet store locations listed on our web site, and also host adoption events each Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Petco in Elmhurst on Route 83.
- Website: www.stsff.org
- Phone: 847-773-7639
- Email: info@stsff.org
- Instagram: @st_sophias
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stsff
- Twitter: @st_sophias
- Other: http://www.pinterest.com/stsff/
Image Credit:
All images of Director Lauren Rizzo (tshirt, glasses) credited to our volunteer photographer, Brian Krupa. All other images, credit to St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines.
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