2019 in review

I wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of the Weirdos out there. Many of you may not realize the impact you make in the lives of cats and their pet parents, but we do and we want to make sure you know where your money goes and just how many lives were saved, thanks to YOU.

​I also wanted to mention… Whether or not you participate through donations, event attendance, bumping, sharing, volunteering or some other avenue, each and every Weirdo is an important and valued member of this community. I personally feel like I’ve finally found the place where I belong. I’ve always felt like a misfit, but in this group, I no longer feel that way. It’s an incredible gift and one I don’t take for granted.
 
Finally, I wanted to send a HUGE shout-out to our leadership team. Our administrators and moderators make this page the wonderful community that it is. Their tireless efforts to make sure that we find ways to raise the money needed to help N.E. Ohio cats and pet parents in need, that member requests are vetted prior to approval, remove posts that violate the page rules, ensure that everyone is playing nice, that events are scheduled and go well, to trap-neuter-return (TNR) as many community cats as possible and many, many other things all combine to make this what I consider one of the best pages on Facebook.
 
So… How amazing are you, Weirdos?! Let me count the ways!

• Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to cover the emergency veterinary needs of 103 cats.
• Your donations totaled over TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS for the emergency pet care fund!
• Twenty-three pet parents have received food and litter for their cats during times of need, with a total of $1,276 spent in this effort.
• The Weirdo Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) Team was formed and we even have shirts to identify the team when they are out trapping. The Team was able to spay/neuter and vaccinate 37 feral cats at the APL this year.
• The TNR Team has also been able to spay/neuter and vaccinate 25 friendly cats, who were then placed up for adoption.
• Nearly $5,000 was raised through your support of our first annual Weirdo calendar fundraiser
• We sold 326 Weirdo shirts, totaling over $3,000 in profits paid out to the Weirdos
• It was our first year attending the CFA International Cat Show, which was a HUGE hit. The Weirdos raised $200 through coloring book sales and donations and Amber Tischler, Rachel Choike and Erica Perna were able to raise a significant amount selling their handmade goods as well.
• We held our 2nd annual Weirdo Picnic with amazing attendance, lots of wonderful food and over 20 catastic raffle baskets. The food that wasn't eaten was donated to the Laura House for those in need. Total raised at the picnic was $1,300!
• We spent 2 days at the Cedar Lee Theatre for the premier of CATS, getting the word out about the Weirdos. We raised over $200 through sales of our key fobs, calendars and coloring books.

 
In other exciting news for 2019, we…

• Obtained our 501(c)(3) status
• Submitted an application to trademark our name (still pending approval)
• Were granted copyright on our logo design
• Launched our website: www.weirdocatloversofcleveland.org
• Leveraged the wonderful talents of our very own Lisa Mscichowski of Hyfi’s House of Charms to create Weirdo key chain/luggage tags
• Hosted a day at the Affogato Cat Café to mingle with the felines and other Weirdos who love them as much as we do
• Had 3 gatherings at Larchmere Fire Works to make beautiful glass cats and other creations

 
In the coming year, in addition to our continued efforts to help local cats and host Weirdo gatherings, we have quite a few new goals we hope to achieve and many ideas we are working to bring to fruition, such as:

• Expansion of our product line to include items such as mugs, hats, etc…
• More Weirdo gatherings at Larchmere Fire Works, Affogato Cat Café and several other places as well
• Making a specialized Weirdo license plate available for purchase in Ohio
• Having a table at the I-X Center’s Catsmas, I mean Christmas Connection
• Much more to come… Have ideas? Please let us know via the Contact Us link on our website!

 
Last but not least, I wanted to share again some different ways you can help. If you can think of any I missed, please add them in the comments at the top of this post!

• Make a direct donation via Paypal, which is tax-deductible. See if your company matches your donations, to double your impact!
• Are you an Amazon shopper? Shop through Amazon Smile, with the Weirdos as your charity, and Amazon will donate 0.05% of your purchases to us, at no cost to you!
• Visit our Etsy Shop for a calendar or key fob! More items will be added soon.
• Purchase an official Weirdo Cat Lovers of Cleveland shirt! The Weirdos will receive approximately $10 from each shirt. With lots of styles and colors from which to choose, you can represent year-round!
• Set up a payroll deduction through your company. It doesn’t get any easier than this! Even a few dollars per pay makes a difference. Plus, it’s tax-deductible and prints right out on your W-2, so it’s easy to claim!

​​Best wishes for a very happy and healthy 2020 ahead!
- Amber Tischler, Weirdo Graphic Designer