A Letter From the Executive Director
The cats and staff at Constellation Cat Cafe are so excited to see what 2025 will bring. Great things are on the horizon, and I’m excited to share our plan with you. We have been busy! Because of that, I feel like I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself properly. My name is Kelsey Earle, and I’m the executive director at Constellation Cat Cafe. While I share the same name as our founder, we are indeed different people! I’ve been in this role since June 2024, and it has been an incredible experience so far.
Let me give you a bit more info about myself and my experience with cat rescue. I was born and raised in northern Minnesota. I came to Lansing for graduate school at MSU and my husband and I have lived in the area since 2018. We have three cats (Finnegan, Figaro, and Jojo), two dogs (Willow and Maple), and at least one foster cat at home. I’ve been a foster and volunteer with Happy Feet since July 2023. My first foster, affectionately named Gerald, sat on my lap while I wrote my dissertation. Gerald didn’t start my cat obsession (Finn is responsible for that), but he did ignite my passion for cat rescue. When I saw the job opening for executive director at Constellation Cat Cafe, I knew I had to apply. And I am so glad I did. Even through the trials this organization has faced, I could not ask for a more caring, dedicated, and kind community.
Entering the new era of our organization, I think it’s important to set goals for the future. As such, our goal for 2025 is gratitude. We want to be thankful for everything our community has done for us. Let’s hold space for a few of the things we are grateful for.
First, you helped us achieve our original fundraising goal. We raised the needed $45,000 to pay for all the contracted work for the interior of New Casa. Raising these funds meant that our nonprofit did not have to take out a large loan. Loans for nonprofits are tough. Having to pay off a loan means we have to allocate those funds to the loan, rather than our mission. We want to use our funds to take care of the cats, pay staff for their incredible work, plan fun events, and find ways to engage meaningfully with our community.
Thank you for contributing to our renovation funds!
Next, you kept us motivated as we faced construction delays and the car accident. Your support and positivity helped us stay optimistic even through all these challenges. Your uplifting attitude and encouragement kept us moving toward our goal of saving cats.
Thank you for motivating us to push forward through all these challenges!
And now we are facing another financial and construction-related trial - a leaky roof. I was heartbroken when I got the call about the roof. Right when we finally started to see real progress, we faced another setback. After all of your generosity, it seemed almost unfair to ask you for more. But here we are, in 2025, our year of gratitude. So let’s take the time to express that gratitude.
Thank you for continually supporting our mission, even when we know we have asked a lot!
Let me also take a minute to recognize our amazing staff. Through all these challenges, their resilience and strength has been astounding. They care so deeply about the welfare of our cats, and for each other. I am overwhelmed by their dedication and feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such incredible people.
Thank you for providing the best care to the cats and the community.
New Casa, Jan. 2025
Given all this, let me take a moment to tell you more about our transition to New Casa. We have a very solid plan to move forward, and I am feeling optimistic and excited about our timeline. We are hoping that we can finish all of the originally contracted interior work and foundation repairs by March. We are hoping to get the roof done as soon as possible, but we need it to be warm and dry enough for a few days for the work to be completed. A lot of the work can be done at the same time, which helps a lot. Once all of the major construction is done, we can start focusing on finishing touches like cat furniture and decor. Our move in goal is still Spring 2025. We can’t set a firm date yet, but once we do I will let you know. Sign up for our newsletter or follow along on our social media accounts for New Casa updates.
Please consider donating to our New Year, New Roof fundraiser. We need to raise $30,000 for our new roof. I am confident we can do this with your help. With the new roof, our New Casa will be renovated from foundation to roof. We will be ready to welcome you to our new space soon, and we are so excited.
Thank you again for helping this nonprofit through the tough times. I hope that the next letter you receive from me is sent from New Casa!
With love and gratitude,
Kelsey Earle
Executive Director
Constellation Cat Cafe