It’s Cori’s Six Month Anniversary!

September 24, 2025•8 min read

Celebrating the Big and Little Things in Life

September 17, 2025 is a day of not just one, but TWO celebrations at Biscuits Cat Haven. Not only is it my official six month anniversary since I joined the team, it is also one year (plus six days, but close enough) since meeting Shawna for the first time!

It’s incredible to think about all of the little moments in life that have to align to get you to the exact place that you find yourself today. Four years ago, I had only been exposed to the surface level of the animal rescue community; I was in college for a degree plan completely unrelated to animal welfare, most of my job experience was in retail, and, (the reactions I get to this tickle me every time) I have never owned a cat before.

My mom, who has always been one of my biggest role models and has a heart big enough to fit the world in, had decided that she was ready for a change of pace after decades of caring for people as a nurse, and took that deeply rooted drive to help, heal, and lead and transitioned into taking care of cats instead.

She had been working at a nonprofit cat sanctuary and shelter for a while, and after hearing more and more stories about the cats she was caring for, the people she met while finding them new homes, and all of the things she was learning about our feline friends, I decided I wanted to experience that for myself too.

And so, I began volunteering at that sanctuary, doing what I could in the little ways that I could fit in with the team. Slowly, I started spending more and more time there, not just socializing with the cats but learning and taking on more responsibilities in a way that made me feel full of purpose, until I eventually took a leap to join the staff officially.

There was a learning curve, as with most things, and I can’t even pretend like I knew what I was doing in the beginning. But I truly loved what I did and the cats I was doing it for and I soaked up all of my experiences and the knowledge that came with them like a sponge, desperate to know and do more. Before long I was one of the only staff members remaining from that original team as they moved on to their own next adventures.

Two and a half years later, and that sanctuary, like many others in the community, had to make the decision to close its doors for good. As we began working to find forever homes for our remaining rescues and desperately trying to acquire any and all funding that we could to make it to the end of the line, we were granted a weeklong explosion of positive public exposure prompted by a longtime supporter who rallied for our cause.

It was during this week, on August 29, 2024, that I (wearing my sanctuary communications liaison hat) received the first email that would eventually end up changing the course of my future from the Biscuits Cat Haven Director, Shawna.

“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.”
―Libba Bray

I helped her to schedule a meeting with the Director of the sanctuary, and when she came in person less than two weeks later and wrapped up the original meeting she was actually there for, she and I were formally introduced and hit it off immediately, and we spent over two hours in my office talking about any and everything cat rescue. From our views on the community to fundraising techniques to adoption practices, we were an enthusiastic tennis match of sharing information that the other staff and volunteers didn’t even attempt to interrupt, both out of amusement and fascination.

She and I still get along like a house on fire, but I’ll get back to that in just a minute.

Before even leaving the sanctuary that day she let me know that, if I was willing and agreeable, she wanted me to join her team after the sanctuary no longer needed my services. One of her biggest goals for the upcoming year was to hire staff, and she had been waiting for the right person to pull the trigger with, and after our afternoon together she had every bit of faith and confidence that I was the person for the job.

To say I was flattered and overwhelmed was truly a gross understatement.

By this point in time, I was absolutely sure that working in cat rescue was what I was meant to do with my life. It can be a very difficult world to live in sometimes, and there were many nights that I’d lay in bed and think about the pain of that particular day and wonder if I was really making a difference at all. But it was exactly that fear that continued to drive me forward and made me want to learn and grow and thrive in all of the ways that I could, not only for the cats that would end up as my responsibility but because I finally felt like I had a true purpose and I wanted to give it my all, and working through my struggles and doubts was a central part of that.

So speaking to Shawna, knowing that someone was seeing that drive in me and could make a request that bold upon our (technical) first time meeting? It was absolutely exhilarating.

Six months after that meeting, I worked my last day at that sanctuary. After a week-long stay home vacation, I worked my first day with Biscuits Cat Haven. And six months after that, here we are today.

Working with Shawna, who always makes me feel seen and heard and has so many dreams that align with my own, is truly an enlightening experience that I’m so grateful to have. Just in these past six months I feel that we have already accomplished so much, and there are only going to continue to be more and more things that we can take on and overcome as a team!

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Favorite Moments of the Year!

While six months may not seem like a celebration-worthy benchmark for some, I love to think that even the smallest happenings can be full of meaning and excitement, and we all deserve to find the joy in the little things where we can.

So, here are some of my favorite little (and major) moments of 2025 so far!

School Field Trip - Meet Sylvester!

We visited a local elementary school with Sylvester to help teach the students about our feline friends, and gave many of them the chance to pet and interact with cats in real life for the first time! I can already imagine how many future animal lovers were created in that room.

sylvester the rescue cat before his school visit

Sylvester waiting for his field trip to the school, Photographed by: Cori

Charity Garage Sale

On top of making some serious progress with my tan and getting a major workout, it was an incredibly satisfying day that was possible due to the generosity of our supporters, both new and old, coming together to help!

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Community Spotlight Networking Event

Getting to know other community members and discussing the things that we’re passionate about followed by an equally passionate dueling piano show AND a birthday party? I couldn’t have asked for a more fun and engaging experience for my first event with BCH!

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Team BCH Photoshoot

As someone who is normally on the other side of the camera (largely by choice) it was a bit terrifying to think about taking part in a day-long professional photoshoot. In hindsight, I think the last time I stepped into a studio was for my senior portraits as a high schooler, which probably explains a lot. But working with BCH has not only done a lot for my experiences, but my confidence and desire to dive into new things as well, and I decided to grab the opportunity with both hands and go with the flow of the day, wherever it took us.

And it took us to so many fun places, both physically and emotionally! Working with Tiffany Lanza was an absolute blast, and she was just as passionate about capturing the essence of BCH as we were.

Shawna and Cori, Photographed by: Lanza Manage Photography

What I’m Looking Forward To!

Purranormal Cat-tivity: Halloween Community Event Fundraiser - October 25
A Halloween themed fundraising event full of pet and family friendly fun with games, 50/50 raffle, costume contents, garage sale, and more!
Jukebox Bingo - November 11
A 21+ musical bingo fundraising event with a silent auction, raffle, and more!
Houston Cat Expo - December 13
A semi-annual event for all things cats for cat lovers! Shop, mingle, adopt a fur-ever friend, and more!

If you have any ideas or suggestions for content that you would like to see, we are always happy to hear from you! Just send us an email at [email protected].

We invite you to join our growing community of supporters. Visit the rest of our website, attend an event, or follow us on social media to stay updated on our latest rescues, upcoming events, and fun updates.

Thank you for being a part of our story. Let's create something beautiful together!