Michelle Graska, left, with parents Kat Wilson and Mike Wilson.

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By Mandy Haggerson

For the Clemmons Courier

Lending a helping hand whenever possible was something Michelle Graska learned from an early age. Coming from a family that loved animals, caring for rescues is something that has bonded them and also brought meaning to their lives.

Having a nurturing personality, when Grasksa’s younger sister, Ashley was born, Grasksa was ecstatic and ready to help care for Ashley.

“I had been raised as the baby of the family. I have an older brother, Kevin, and when Ashley came years 15 later, it was a fun change,” said Graska. “When my mom had my sister, she was working at the time, and I really wanted to help. I changed her diapers, taught her ABCs and took care of her.” 

Naturally, Graska thought a seamless professional fit would be nursing. She learned pretty quickly she wasn’t ready to commit to that profession.

“I got a job working as a dispatcher for a heating and air conditioning company. I worked for two different ones for over six years and learned about project management,” said Graska. “Then I went to work for a solar manufacturer. They had a loyalty program which I was hired to manage. Even though I didn’t have a marketing background at that time, they knew I understood what contractors did and believed they could teach me the marketing component.”

Graska thrived in that position.

“For the five years that I worked for them, their product was in multiple countries. I traveled all over to places like Germany to roll out our ad campaigns for products that we created in the U.S. It was neat to see what you created in various countries and languages,” said Graska. 

During Graska’s time working for the solar company, she met her future husband, Jeff.

“When we first talked, we realized very quickly how many common interests we had,” said Graska.

They really enjoyed the local music scene, travel, appreciated family and weren’t scared to try new things and learn. Jeff and Michelle knew after dating only 4-5 months that they were going to be lifelong partners and were married within the year.

“Jeff is musically talented, and his band played at our wedding. It was really special,” said Graska.

The Graskas decided to make a big change after getting married.

“I had thought about going back to school to be a nurse when the solar company that I worked for had a significant organizational shift,” said Graska. “My dad was living in Winston-Salem, so we decided to make a major move and come to North Carolina. I found a fit that suited my marketing background at HealthCare Information Management, Inc. (HCIM). At that point I had significant marketing experience under my belt and was excited to build on what I had learned.” 

While the marketing and corporate events enthusiast enjoys her professional career, she is grateful that it allows her to dedicate time to her passion of animal rescue. Having served as the president of the Humane Society of Davie County, she understands the many facets of rescue.

“Currently we have three adorable foster kittens. We are in the middle of kitten season, and it really is tough to find adopters for all the deserving animals,” said Graska. 

Graska has tried to help shine light and advocate for low-cost spay and neuter programs in our area, and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.

“Big picture, rescue is making sure that people spay and neuter their animals. Aside from preventing animals from ending up in shelters, it does have lots of health benefits for both dogs and cats. We have low cost spay and neuter vouchers in our area at places like the Humane Society of Davie County and the Central Wellness Spay and Neuter Clinic. It does take time to get in, so as soon as you know your animal is going to be of age, I would recommend calling and making appointments,” said Graska.

Graska finds that TNR plays a critical role in managing feral cat colonies.

“It’s not uncommon for rescues to get a call about abandoned cats, which if left unaltered will quickly become quite large. Having TNR resources in our community is a humane way to reduce the size of the feral colony, improve their health (if someone is willing and able to feed them), and reduce nuisance behaviors,” said Graska. “Having volunteers that are able to support efforts with TNR would be greatly appreciated by many rescues like Forgotten Felines of Forsyth who depend on volunteers. I was so excited when I got to meet the Cowboy Cat Wrangler at a fundraiser for TNR. He tries and make rescuing fun and attention grabbing to shed light on why it’s important.” 

Graska’s own family, including her parents, Mike and Kat Wilson, have established a Buddy and Kitty fund through the Humane Society of Davie.

“Our goal has been to help families with unexpected catastrophic vet expenses when families are in a tough financial place and just can’t afford it. We know how much our animals mean to us, and just because you’re going through a tough financial time, we don’t want you to have to forgo the necessary animal care that your furry family member needs to live,” said Graska. 

Knowing how much North Carolina’s shelters are still overflowing with wonderful animals that will never get homes, Graska encourages others to consider helping a local rescue in a capacity that works best for them.

“The reward of helping animals is so much greater than what you give to them. Whether you give funds, blankets, towels, help with TNR, foster, or you help with day to day needs of the animals in a shelter environment, what you receive in return is so much more than what you give. Rescues and shelters receive heartbreaking calls every day to help animals that have nowhere else to go. Those animals would love for you to be part of their journey to finding a family, and saving their life,” said Graska.