Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Gorman
When Mary Gorman, a longtime volunteer, retired from her position as an anesthesiologist at Mercy Medical Center, she decided to take a detour from walking dogs and get herself back in the surgical suite. Although this time, instead of treating humans, Mary is now devoting herself to the cats and dogs of Baltimore.
With a little training, Mary was able to relieve vet techs of some of their tasks—everything from intubating animals to sterilizing instruments. And, as with most BARCS volunteers, she pitches in where she is needed, which means volunteering at vaccine clinics, cleaning cabinets or the occasional walking a dog before surgery.
While Mary loves the work, she says her favorite part are the people she gets to work with. “The techs are wonderful,” she says. “They are incredibly bright, hard-working and they absolutely love animals.”
Another talent that came in handy during COVID was Mary’s sewing skills. “BARCS had given masks to hospitals,” she explains, so she went into high gear making masks for surgical staff and volunteers.
Like the rest of BARCS volunteers, Mary was “furloughed” when COVID began, but she was later asked to return. She went back in June one day a week, and now she is there two days a week.
And, like anyone who transitioned from the old shelter to the new one, Mary gives the new facility rave reviews.
“Let’s face it, the old shelter was awful,” she says. “Everything was old. The new shelter is beautiful. It is airy, there is so much more storage and I have so much more room to complete tasks like sterilizing instruments. It’s wonderful.”
She also loves the holding rooms for animals before surgery. She recalls the days when the cats lined the halls and the dogs were held in a different hallway behind a curtain.
Mary has no problem pitching in to do whatever needs to be done.
“I pick up the slack so the techs and the doctors can do more important tasks,” she says. “If it makes their jobs easier, I am so happy to help. They work so hard. They have an incredible job to do, from surgery to medicating animals to mountains of paperwork. I’m happy to do whatever I can to make their jobs just a little easier.”
Besides its beauty and newness, Mary says she loves the community that surrounds the shelter. She got to meet many area people at the latest vaccine clinic. She is incredibly proud that they vaccinated 213 animals.
She is also proud of new programs, including caring for community animals and spaying and neutering animals from several Baltimore neighborhoods.
And she is proud of the volunteer program, and how it has been able to “pivot” during this difficult time.
“I love how Erica, the volunteer coordinator, will work with anyone interesting in volunteering to find the best job for them,” Mary says. “There are so many different jobs for volunteers at BARCS, from walking dogs to volunteering at fundraisers.” Even people who don’t want to work directly with animals can find a fulfilling activity at BARCS, she explains.
There is definitely a need for people with medical skills, although even those without a medical background can help out. “With training, volunteers can give out medication to cats and dogs,” Mary says. “Really, there is room for just about anyone to become a BARCS volunteer. The only downside is wanting to take home so many of the dogs.”
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