The Association Blog

About four years ago, I started a community cat program. At the time, I saw firsthand how many people cared about the cats in their communities but simply did not have the resources or knowledge to know what to do. I wanted to bridge that gap between the people and the animals. 

We secured grant funding to start the program and provide meaningful support to the community. What made me especially proud was eventually being able to work with the county to move the program toward county-funded sustainability, rather than relying solely on grant funding. Watching the impact was incredible. I saw people who genuinely wanted to help, but needed someone to give them the resources, guidance, and opportunity to do it. I also saw how much better outcomes could be when we stopped looking at the community as the problem and instead asked, “What do people need from us to be successful?”

That experience shaped the way I lead today. I learned that some of the biggest opportunities in animal welfare exist in the gaps between people and the systems meant to serve them. Sometimes leadership is simply being willing to see that gap, step into it, and build something better.

– TyAnn Sumpter, Executive Director, SPCA of Brazoria County