Day after day I watched as this poor stray kitty dug into the trash for a meal. It pained me to watch.

But how would I find money to pay for cat food?

I went through my toy box looking for items I could sell. After placing these items in a cardboard box, I started knocking on apartment doors explaining to the adults who answered:

1. I was selling my toys

2. I was selling my toys so I could buy cat food for a hungry stray cat

One of the adults that answered the door that day looked at me and her eyes welled up with tears. She went and grabbed her wallet and handed me a five-dollar bill.

I told her I would give her all the toys for five dollars. She told me to keep my toys and the five dollars.

And then she walked me home and said something nice to my mother.

The next day, I went to the grocery store and bought a large bag of dry cat food. I grabbed a paper towel from our apartment, emptied some cat food onto it, and watched as this dirty, skinny cat gobbled it down.

My heart filled with love.

Since then, no matter where I have lived, a hungry stray cat (or few) would somehow wind up on my back porch, or front porch, or follow me to the mailbox crying for food.

I’ve probably fed over a hundred stray cats in the past forty-five-plus years.

I bought cat food using the money I earned from babysitting, working my first job, money I scraped together as a single parent, money from working at a gas station, money from my work as a mental health therapist, money from my social security check, and money from my husband’s employment. In other words, I always fed the stray cats using my own funds.

When money was tight after COVID, I drove two hours a day to pick up donated cat food from the local animal shelter.

Just like I would not let my neighbor go hungry, I was not about to let the feral, stray, and abandoned cats go hungry.

Did I mention that I love cats?

In addition to feeding the hungry cats, I have trapped cats and had them spayed/neutered/vaccinated so they wouldn’t be able to reproduce and catch/carry disease. If the cats were suitable for adoption, I coordinated with shelters to help find them a home.

It was a lot of work but I enjoyed every moment of it.

In 2022, I discovered a new social media site called Post. News that may or may not still exist on the day you’re reading this (they announced they’re shutting down).

Anyway, one day I found myself exasperated because funds were depleted, and the cat food pantries were empty.

How was I going to feed all these cats?

I was feeding eight.

So, I mentioned my community cat problem on Post. News and one of the kind people (hey, Lynne) mentioned starting an Amazon Wishlist so others could contribute.

I was skeptical but I created the Wishlist.

Two days later, a whole lot of food showed up. I was amazed, overjoyed, and surprised.

Why would people who’ve never met help me feed the community cats? Did they see my passion? Did they look at the photos of the community cats I posted online and realize I was legit?

I should also mention that during this period in time, I was going through some things personally. I was deep in grief from my father passing away, from losing two friends to COVID-19, five friends to cancer, and three other friends from Multiple Sclerosis-related complications (side note: I have Multiple Sclerosis).

I was raw. I was sad. I was overwhelmed.

So, the kindness from these people on Post. News? It was a balm to my soul.

And their kindness wasn’t just that one time. For over a year and a half, Post. News feline lovers helped me feed and care for over twelve community cats.

This community cheered me on, encouraged me, and thanked me.

They thanked me for doing something I love, feeding cats.

This Post community helped remind me that what I do matters. Even if no one knows or sees what I do? I know.

When someone suggested a non-profit, I thought, “Me? Run a non-profit?”

But they believed in me.

So here I am. I have a nonprofit.

I named it All These Cats Feed and Rescue because for what feels like forever, someone somewhere has often asked me, “Kim, do you need all these cats?” or “Kim, do you really need to feed all these cats?”

Yes. Yes, I do.

So to my feline friends from Post. News, this nonprofit exists because of you. You all have changed my life and restored my weary soul.

To those of you new around here, welcome. Your support means the world to me.

With much love,

Kim C. Dickerson

FOUNDER/DIRECTOR