It’s been a busy year for Fearless Kitty Rescue which, through the help of community donations, purchased its own building at 16832 Avenue of the Fountains and promoted former treasurer and CFO, Steve Hedden, to president/CEO of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill cat rescue.

After renting for the better part of five years, owning the 5,200 square-foot building seemed like the eventual step forward. A Capital Campaign was initiated to raise funds for the building purchase, but plans were sidelined when the COVID-19 pandemic set in.

Toward the end of 2022, the kitty crew decided that it was a good time to pick up where they left off and within less than a year, on March 31, 2023, a loan was secured to purchase the building that houses the Rescue and its feline residents.

Securing funds for the building purchase came from donors who purchased various sizes of metal plaques with cat names or “cat sayings” that are displayed on the donor wall. Over the last several months, a total of $50,000 was donated, which was sufficient to make the initial downpayment on the building.

“It has always been the goal to purchase the building ourselves, so we own it and so we have a forever location,” Christine Fixico-Silver said, Fearless Kitty’s executive director. “It was really awesome to be able to do that because to be able to secure a mortgage as a non-profit, you definitely have to show yourself as a solvent, financially responsible organization and also have another goal to look forward to.”

With phase one of the Capital Campaign complete, phase two begins, which seeks to raise $585,000 over the next seven years to own the building outright.

Details on current fundraising efforts for the Capital Campaign can be found on the Fearless Kitty Rescue website at fearlesskittyrescue.org/capital-campaign.

New leadership

“This is a new chapter of growth for Fearless Kitty Rescue as we transition out of the pandemic and through the purchase of our building,” Hedden said in a press release, who was recently promoted as the non-profit’s president/CEO.

Hedden assumes his new title after Fearless Kitty founder Kim Kamins stepped down to take on a new role as consultant to the Board.

According to Kamins, purchasing the building is one of the rescue’s biggest accomplishments since opening its doors in September 2012.

Hedden is currently in the middle of a five-month road trip, driving cross-country in a bus with his 11 cats to visit his family. Fixico-Silver calls his inaugural voyage in the kitten van the “Cats Across America” trip, where Hedden posts updates with his furry friends throughout his trip.

Join the cause

As Fearless Kitty Rescue begins a new chapter in its journey, Fixico-Silver says its mission to improve the lives of cats in the community is stronger than ever.

“I've been involved in animal welfare and the veterinary field for a really long time and when I was looking for somewhere to volunteer, I chose [Fearless Kitty] because it was such a well-run organization and I really liked the way the cats are treated,” she said. “We are always looking for volunteers because we always have cats to feed, boxes to scoop and cats to play with.”

Fixico-Silver adds that there are a number of volunteer opportunities at Fearless Kitty Rescue including one that allows volunteers to simply spend time with cats and enjoy their company.

To learn more about Fearless Kitty Rescue, visit fearlesskittyrescue.org and follow: @fearlesskittyrescue on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; @FearlessKitty12 on Twitter and Fearless Kitty Rescue on YouTube.