June Catrijsse has woven her heart into the fabric of the Winnipeg Humane Society for 20 years. A retired nurse from Teulon, she brings a wealth of experience to this vital community resource.
Catrijsse’s dedication to the WHS is a heartwarming reminder of how local communities can come together for a common cause. Her journey, from volunteering in various capacities to spearheading innovative projects like creating cat cage covers, exemplifies the impact one person can have.
Catrijsse worked part-time at WHS and knows how daunting the workload can be. Most recently, she has taken on the role of helping with the laundry at the shelter. Through this work, she discovered that the cat cage covers they currently had were looking a bit poorly. They were made of bits of material with ties over them, which kept getting caught in the machine, and they didn’t look very nice hanging up.
The shelter frequently receives donations of blankets and sheets, which are always nice, but there was no actual use. Catrijsse decided to put these donations to good use. She has been knitting since she was eight years old, having learned from her mother, but to get her project done, she needed the help of someone with a knack for sewing.
She reached out to her friend’s sister, Kim Hatch, who enjoys sewing. When they realized they needed about 80 cat cage covers, they turned to Catrijsse’s sister, Christine Tronrud, who teaches 4H and is always looking for new projects. Two weeks later, 80 covers were finished.
“We try not to waste anything there if we don’t have to,” said Catrijsse. “We would get bits and pieces of material and were able to put them together to make nice curtains for the cats.”
These curtains and covers look nicer and keep the cats more comfortable, especially for those nervous ones who have just come into the shelter.
In addition to volunteering, Catrijsse is the creator of the WHS Knitting and Purrling Club. She started the club about a year and a half ago, in January 2023. It had started right before the pandemic shut things down. When restrictions loosened, she asked the shelter manager if it could get things going again. At first, about five group members would get together to knit, crochet, and make blankets for adopted cats to go home with.
“We sit around, share ideas, and help each other with our projects,” shared Catrijsse. “Some of the people that come in are just starting to knit or crochet. We chat about this and that and have a few good laughs.”
Since its official beginning, the group has expanded to 20 members, many older, retired, or living alone. The club provides a good social outing for all of its members. Donations of yarn come in regularly, so the ladies are able to experiment with a bunch of different designs.
In the future, Catrijsse and her club hope to work on larger covers for the dog kennels, which would make a more private area for dogs in labour or nervous dogs. They are always looking for help from people who can sew, donations, or knitting yarn that can be machine-washed and dried.
Anyone wanting to help can contact WHS’ volunteer services at 204-982-2021.
