Street Cats Club Builds 128 Winter Shelters to Protect Homeless Cats this Winter

Volunteers with the Street Cats Club gathered last weekend to build and distribute 128 winter shelters designed to help homeless cats survive the dangerously cold Midwest weather. Now in its sixth year, the Winter Shelter Build and Giveaway has produced nearly 700 free shelters for community cat colonies since the program began in 2019.

“Every winter, we see cats suffering in the cold, with nowhere to escape the freezing temperatures,” said Victoria Partridge, Founder & Executive Director of the Street Cats Club. “These shelters mean safety, warmth, and survival.” 

Like all services provided by the Street Cats Club, these shelters are offered free of charge to community members caring for stray cats.

The Street Cats Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and licensed animal shelter dedicated to improving the lives of stray and homeless cats. The organization is run entirely by volunteers, with no paid staff and no city funding. All support comes from community donations, grants, and fundraising events.

The group’s primary mission is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return)—a humane, effective approach in which stray cats are safely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped for identification, and then returned to their outdoor homes. Last year alone, the organization fixed roughly 500 cats, preventing the birth of thousands of kittens while reducing fighting, spraying, and the spread of disease.

In addition to TNR, the Street Cats Club provides:

• Foster care for sick, injured, and orphaned cats

• The Lola Love Fund, offering free spay/neuter services for low-income cat owners

• Community outreach, including free shelters, straw, and cat food for colony caretakers

The demand for help continues to grow. The Street Cats Club currently has nearly 2,000 cats on its TNR list, representing more than 300 community requests, all needing spay/neuter surgeries. With an estimated 10,000 stray cats in Lyon County, expanding TNR efforts is critical, not only for animal welfare but for the entire community.

Street Cats Club Participating in Emporia Community Foundation’s Match Day

This year, the Street Cats Club aims to raise at least $15,000 through the Emporia Community Foundation’s Match Day. These funds will directly increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries the organization can provide.

Currently, the group can fix about 40 cats per month—roughly 500 per year. Their goal is to double that and fix 1,000 cats annually starting in 2026.

“When people support our Match Day campaign, they aren’t just donating—they are saving lives,” Partridge said. “Every dollar helps a cat avoid suffering, prevents future litters, and reduces the burden on local shelters. We have the volunteers. We have the passion. What we need now is the funding to match the need.”

Community members are encouraged to support the campaign, where donations will be increased through a pool of matching funds.

More information can be found at: streetcatsclub.com/matchday