The H.O.M. is a no-kill cat sanctuary which has struggled for several years. The major problems are typical of such an non-profit endeavor -- the economy & too many cats needing forever homes.
Whenever I go to Memphis, I try to visit the the facility -- located in the Cooper-Young District -- & take with me a case of kat fud for all the little fellas & girls.
Entering the store front, everyone is always greeted by friendly faces who are glad to see visitors & welcome them to their (hopefully) "temporary home". Sadly, every time I visit, I find one or more kitties I would love to take back to Arkansas with me. But, with three girls of my own, I am probably maxed out on cats at this point. [Probably ... "maybe" ... next trip.]
Elain Harvey runs The H.O.M with a few volunteers, contributors such as myself & the proceeds from the MEOWATON -- the annual 5K run in November each year. It's a labor of love on her part.
Recent times have not been easy for Elain, with her facing personal sacrifices to keep the The H.O.M. open, running & viable.
But ... here is the good news I want to share. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up for Elain & The House of Mews.
Below I have included a copy of the recent article in the weekly Memphis Flyer newspaper. Also, I have attached an e-mail received today from The H.O.M. with the great news of additional sponsorship & volunteers.
MEMPHIS FLYER MAY 6, 2010
Herding Cats
Tough economy puts strain on House of Mews.by Bianca Phillips
House of Mews owner Elaine Harvey is selling her home to ensure the shelter's 95 cats have a place to live.
Over the past 15 years, House of Mews founder Elaine Harvey has housed countless cats and kittens at her no-kill shelter in Cooper-Young. But now the passionate animal rescuer is selling her own home to keep a roof over the cats' heads.
"My house is tying me down. It's an expense I don't need," Harvey said, fighting back tears. "If I didn't have a home to worry about, I wouldn't have to come up with as much money to take care of myself and I could handle the store."
After her East Memphis home sells, Harvey plans to save money by moving into an efficiency apartment. Donations to the House of Mews have been slow over the past year, likely due to the weak economy.
Currently, the shelter houses 95 cats at its storefront at 933 S. Cooper. The rent is $980 a month, and Harvey must constantly raise funds for food, litter, and veterinary care.
"The vet bills have been really expensive over the past couple of years, as much $20,000 a year," Harvey said.
The House of Mews receives regular donations of canned food and supplies, and they pay a couple hundred dollars a month on dry food. Litter costs run the shelter about $500 a month. The store's largest revenue generator is the annual Meowathon 5K, which brought in $29,000 last November. But that still isn't enough to run the shelter year-round.
"People have put us in wills or put us down as beneficiaries on insurance policies and investment accounts, but those are someday things," Harvey said. "We have to wait for someone to die for that to happen. We always just go day by day. During this economy, it's gotten really tough."
Though the shelter doesn't seem to be in immediate danger of closing, Harvey is putting together an emergency plan in case funding continues to dwindle. She's asking people to volunteer to take in a cat should the operation close.
"We think all the time, What would happen if we just didn't have the money to pay the rent one month? If we had to move quickly, what would we do with 95 cats?" Harvey said. "We want a list of people who would be willing to take one kitty."
As of press time, 17 people have volunteered for the emergency list. Harvey is also looking for donors to help with the monthly bills.
"We would like to get people to sign up to have part of the bills paid out of their bank accounts," Harvey said. "It would help us breathe easier if we had a number of people willing to donate toward the rent. At least we'd know we'd have a place to be, and any excess could be spent on vet bills."
Over the past 15 years, House of Mews founder Elaine Harvey has housed countless cats and kittens at her no-kill shelter in Cooper-Young. But now the passionate animal rescuer is selling her own home to keep a roof over the cats' heads.
"My house is tying me down. It's an expense I don't need," Harvey said, fighting back tears. "If I didn't have a home to worry about, I wouldn't have to come up with as much money to take care of myself and I could handle the store."
After her East Memphis home sells, Harvey plans to save money by moving into an efficiency apartment. Donations to the House of Mews have been slow over the past year, likely due to the weak economy.
Currently, the shelter houses 95 cats at its storefront at 933 S. Cooper. The rent is $980 a month, and Harvey must constantly raise funds for food, litter, and veterinary care.
"The vet bills have been really expensive over the past couple of years, as much $20,000 a year," Harvey said.
The House of Mews receives regular donations of canned food and supplies, and they pay a couple hundred dollars a month on dry food. Litter costs run the shelter about $500 a month. The store's largest revenue generator is the annual Meowathon 5K, which brought in $29,000 last November. But that still isn't enough to run the shelter year-round.
"People have put us in wills or put us down as beneficiaries on insurance policies and investment accounts, but those are someday things," Harvey said. "We have to wait for someone to die for that to happen. We always just go day by day. During this economy, it's gotten really tough."
Though the shelter doesn't seem to be in immediate danger of closing, Harvey is putting together an emergency plan in case funding continues to dwindle. She's asking people to volunteer to take in a cat should the operation close.
"We think all the time, What would happen if we just didn't have the money to pay the rent one month? If we had to move quickly, what would we do with 95 cats?" Harvey said. "We want a list of people who would be willing to take one kitty."
As of press time, 17 people have volunteered for the emergency list. Harvey is also looking for donors to help with the monthly bills.
"We would like to get people to sign up to have part of the bills paid out of their bank accounts," Harvey said. "It would help us breathe easier if we had a number of people willing to donate toward the rent. At least we'd know we'd have a place to be, and any excess could be spent on vet bills."
And now the e-mail received today:
The House of Mews MEWSLETTER
JUNE 2010
Dear Friends of Mews,
Thanks to The Memphis Flyer and a story by reporter, Bianca Phillips, a few weeks ago The House of Mews has been adopted by Service Assurance Corporation! Service Assurance, founded in 1989, and heavily involved in multiple charities in the Mid-South community, is the Mid-South's largest privately-held continuous provider of on-site remote technology services.
What does this mean, "House of Mews adopted"? It means that after reading the story in The Flyer about the House of Mews' tough economic times, Service Assurance's owners contacted us and generously offered to be our corporate sponsor! More than that, they will act as our "Big Brother & Coach", donating cash, employee volunteer hours, administrative & PR help, computer tech skills as well as their expertise in fundraising, valued at well over $1000 a month. We believe that this generous offer may be precedent-setting, in that it is likely the first time a corporation has offered such a golden opportunity, on an on-going basis to a Memphis area non-profit animal welfare sanctuary. Service Assurance co-founders, Mark Giannini (CEO) & Kelli Mitchell (President), are hopeful that this inspires other companies to help smaller non-profits who often go unnoticed in the shadow of bigger names. We are proud to be associated with a fine company like Service Assurance Corporation, a small local company doing something big, and they deserve a great deal of praise for their generosity.
AND we want to THANK YOU, our old friends and new friends, who showed up to offer donations and support after reading The Memphis Flyer story. We are blessed and feel so much gratitude for those of you who came through for us. Once again you have helped to make our life easier and safeguarded The House of Mews for over 130 kitties currently calling it their home.
Sincerely,
Elain Harvey
Founder, Managing Director The House of Mews
YOU SAVED US!!
In honor of Bianca Phillips' story and the help of all of our friends, we were able to go to the Memphis Animal Shelter recently and save over 30 kittens and several adult kitties who were on death row and scheduled for euthanasia. Please come for a visit and see all the new babies - you helped save their lives!
JUNE 2010
Dear Friends of Mews,
Thanks to The Memphis Flyer and a story by reporter, Bianca Phillips, a few weeks ago The House of Mews has been adopted by Service Assurance Corporation! Service Assurance, founded in 1989, and heavily involved in multiple charities in the Mid-South community, is the Mid-South's largest privately-held continuous provider of on-site remote technology services.
What does this mean, "House of Mews adopted"? It means that after reading the story in The Flyer about the House of Mews' tough economic times, Service Assurance's owners contacted us and generously offered to be our corporate sponsor! More than that, they will act as our "Big Brother & Coach", donating cash, employee volunteer hours, administrative & PR help, computer tech skills as well as their expertise in fundraising, valued at well over $1000 a month. We believe that this generous offer may be precedent-setting, in that it is likely the first time a corporation has offered such a golden opportunity, on an on-going basis to a Memphis area non-profit animal welfare sanctuary. Service Assurance co-founders, Mark Giannini (CEO) & Kelli Mitchell (President), are hopeful that this inspires other companies to help smaller non-profits who often go unnoticed in the shadow of bigger names. We are proud to be associated with a fine company like Service Assurance Corporation, a small local company doing something big, and they deserve a great deal of praise for their generosity.
AND we want to THANK YOU, our old friends and new friends, who showed up to offer donations and support after reading The Memphis Flyer story. We are blessed and feel so much gratitude for those of you who came through for us. Once again you have helped to make our life easier and safeguarded The House of Mews for over 130 kitties currently calling it their home.
Sincerely,
Elain Harvey
Founder, Managing Director The House of Mews
YOU SAVED US!!
In honor of Bianca Phillips' story and the help of all of our friends, we were able to go to the Memphis Animal Shelter recently and save over 30 kittens and several adult kitties who were on death row and scheduled for euthanasia. Please come for a visit and see all the new babies - you helped save their lives!
We still need more temporary foster homes for kittens. If you are interested please email Elain at houseofmew@aol.com.
We can use some help if you are able to bring some goodies for us please.
THIS WEEK we could use some VINEGAR, bleach, laundry soap, kitchen white trash bags, and Fancy Feast or Friskies classic pate canned food (we have tons of PAPER TOWELS - thanks) if you have some spare change and can bring these items to us to donate. We are happy to give you a receipt for your tax file in exchange. Or if you prefer, you may DONATE thru PayPal by CLICKING HERE: PAYPAL
Quick Links
The House of Mews
DONATE thru PayPal
About Us
Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community service organization, in business since 1994 and dedicated to the rescue and care of homeless cats and kittens. The organization's other missions include spaying and neutering all cats adopted from the House of Mews, educating the public on the humane treatment of cats, reporting and preventing the abuse of animals, and encouraging respect for the rights and dignity of animals. The felines of Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc. are adopted through The House of Mews, a cat sanctuary and adoption agency which serves as an alternative to local government-run shelters. The House of Mews does not purchase or sell cats; it operates on the fundamental principle that the lives of other living, emotional beings are not marketable or "for sale." Those approved to adopt a feline from The House of Mews are encouraged to make a donation to defray the necessary veterinarian expenses (spaying/neutering, vaccinations, tests) incurred for their new feline companions.
The House of Mews is located at 933 S. Cooper in the heart of the Midtown in the Cooper-Young Historic District and is staffed wholly by hard-working, non-paid volunteers. As a cat lover's gift shop, The House of Mews also offers for sale unique cat collectibles, T-shirts, crafts, and other cat necessities such as Feline Fresh litter, Science Diet cat food, toys, catnip and a variety of kitty supplies.
The House of Mews is supported by corporate & public donations, retail sales and adoptions, fundraisers and a annual 5K Walk/Run Meowathon, bequests left to us in wills and insurance policies where our friends have listed The House of Mews as "owner" of which entitles the giver a tax deduction during their lifetime. Judge Freeman Marr of Marr & Malone in Bartlett, TN does FREE wills for those of our friends who wish to leave a bequest to The House of Mews (Puddy Tat Protectors, Inc.).
DID YOU KNOW - Our adoptions fees have not changed since we opened for business in 1995???? Adoption fees are $70 and up.
And finally:
I've written a lot of times about my cats. It was soooo good to write this post -- with "help" from Wobs, who is (as almost always) in my lap as I type -- & share this with everyone who reads my blog. Not only have you read about The H.O.M., everyone is encouraged to send them a donation. The kitties would certainly benefit.
Observations:
ReplyDelete1. A good article.
2. An opportunity for some of us other cat lovers to assist HOM.
3. Looks like your truck was parked in a "no parking zone".
4. I see some folks out of your will and some furry folks in it..
Bubba
Can - not - resist - the - kitties - in - need.
ReplyDelete