Archived News

Phouc H. Le has been volunteering with the Peter Zippi Memorial Fund since 2018 holding down one of our most challenging shifts; closing on a Saturday. Phuoc has never missed a shift. In fact, she arrives early and often covers when someone else is absent. She is a reliable role-model for everyone she comes into contact with by setting the tone and providing exceptional hands-on care to our cats and kittens as well as comprehensive after shift reports. Phuoc teaches new volunteers and strengthens team building. She is inclusive, humorous, and kind. We thank Phuouc for her generous spirit and the unwavering support she provides to all cats, kittens and people.

Hyla was born in 1950 and became an accomplished gymnast and dancer, leading to a long career as a stuntwoman and actress in over 80 films. She was also a successful day-trader and a passionate cat-lover who created a Trust that since her death in 2016 has benefited over 60 organizations that help homeless cats find medical care and forever homes. Peter Zippi Memorial Fund is grateful to be one of those groups and thanks the Hyla Marrow Trust for its generous support of our rescue and adoption efforts in 2022.

2021 Volunteer of the Year

Gayle Kirma

We have staff scheduled seven days of the week to work in our cat rooms ensuring the areas are clean and our charges remain happy and healthy through proper diets, enrichment, as well as medication and supplements when needed. Consistency is key to a cat’s well-being which means our policies and procedures must be documented and shifts must be covered. One can probably imagine the Herculean effort it takes to provide proper documentation and manage 20+ people in 6 daily two hour shifts. That is why our 2021 Volunteer of the Year is our Volunteer Manager, Gayle Kirma. When we received the green light to allow adult volunteers back into the facility she sprung into action, contacting every single pre-COVID volunteer to determine who would be returning and what their shift preferences were. Gayle built a well-rounded schedule taking everyone’s preferences and skill-sets into consideration in just a few weeks. In addition to managing their coming and going, Gayle continues to recruit so we have 12 hours of continuous coverage 6 days per week.

2019 Volunteer of the Year

Carol Christensen

Peter Zippi Memorial Fund Inc is so fortunate to have Carol as part of our volunteer family, and we celebrate her as the 2019 Volunteer of the Year. Learn more about her contributions by clicking here.

Is named “Woman of the Year” by the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. This is a great honor, we are very proud of our Founder who started rescuing dogs and cats as a child and continues to this day.