Two years ago, Deborah arrived at the shelter to volunteer with us. A former nurse, she was comfortable medicating cats and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She was full of hidden talents and was a wonderful seamstress who handcrafted hundreds of items that she donated to our craft sales. She blended in beautifully with our volunteers, as if she’d been with us for years, and often showed up with cookies she had baked for us. She had a knack for cleaning and organizing, which is always so desperately needed here, and she tackled projects without a complaint as she breezed through the building while singing to the cats. We started to think of her as our very own Mary Poppins. How did we get so lucky to find her?
But just as the story of Mary Poppins reads, life brings about changes we must learn to adjust to, and we learned that Deborah was needed back in New York to attend to family matters. As much as it pained us to say goodbye, family always comes first. She literally cleaned her way out the door, organizing the shed and the cabinets and drawers, leaving us in good shape…for awhile.
Before she left, we took a rare moment to sit together and reminisce about her time spent at HEARTT Animal Refuge. We ate pizza and salad, and cookies that Deborah baked for her own party. 
We wish her well in her her new location and that family bonds can be strengthened and renewed. And we hope she finds another shelter where she can impart the same love and gifts she showered on us.
We miss her already. 