Traveling Students Add Italian Cat Care to Service Projects
Where once the Roman Senate assembled and Julius Caesar met his end in 44 BC, volunteers have reimagined Curia Pompei as less catastrophe and more cat care. For centuries, hundreds of feral felines congregated among the ruins. In more recent history, compassionate “cat ladies” ensured the animals received much needed attention. And, in 1993, they organized as a nonprofit called Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary and welcomed tourists as volunteers to assist their work.
Stacie Freeman, the Co-Founder of West Tennessee’s non-profit providing travel, service, and learning for students and community members, discovered the sanctuary as she researched May 2024 travel to Rome, Florence, the U.N. World Heritage site of Cinque Terre, and Venice.
Currently, cats brought to the sanctuary are examined for parasites and vaccinated. More than 7,000 cats were spayed and neutered through the program last year. Fostering for kittens and adoption are also included in the range of services.
Once Freeman and Co-Founder Julie Hill, both ardent cat lovers and the co-leaders of the Italy 2024 program, were introduced to the sanctuary in Rome, they agreed the health-giving poking and stroking would be the “purrfect” service project option.
GCAC offers scholarships to students from rural and economically disadvantaged areas and requires 100 combined hours of local and international service as part of the scholarship program.
Chloe Isbell, a second semester senior graduating from Bethel University in December, met her local community service commitment with projects through the school. A returning GCAC traveler with previous experience in Guatemala, she said she felt amazed at the sites of Rome and enjoyed the new service experience, as, “Serving is the highlight of my life.”
The Dickson County native who has studied criminal justice and plans a career in 911 dispatch, appreciated the opportunity to participate in the project, noting, “GCAC scholarships help us to make dreams happen. It gives an opportunity that may not have happened otherwise. Serving makes me feel as good as one can.”
Toni King, from Ashland City, earned her volunteer hours feeding the homeless, doing construction projects and cleaning and cooking for widows. The online student at Bethel also working at a retinal eye surgery center confessed that she was astounded with the chance to see what was once the center of the civilized world.
“Rome is a walking, breathing museum,” she said. “I loved that where the Roman Senate once stood now is a cat sanctuary; what was meant for evil, God turned around for good.”
Gracelyn Eaves, a recent Bethel graduate now planning on a master’s in public health and then medical school in the fall of 2025, usually volunteers at schools and reads to children. Of her Roman adventure, she noted, “I loved the experience by knowing that we were able to help and interact with the cats that don’t get much human contact.”
She has served as a GCAC Ambassador on campus, explaining GCAC’s focus on travel, service and learning to fellow students. She said she is grateful for GCAC’s scholarship opportunities because “trying to travel as a financially independent college student is very hard” and GCAC has “allowed me to travel and learn about other cultures when I might have not had a chance to experience this beautiful country otherwise.”
Freeman, who worked alongside the volunteers while in Rome, pointed out, “We are seeing that students who invest in service locally and then connect to other nonprofits around the world through GCAC are benefitting in a variety of ways. We’ve been told that the soft skills they pick up as they navigate travel and interact with other cultures have helped with graduate admissions interviews and in their professions as they engage with people holding different perspectives. Even at the cat sanctuary they were able to witness what a small group of determined volunteers committed to a cause can do. That’s exciting for us.”
Other exciting events during the 10-day program concluding June 5 were tasting authentic Italian cuisine; seeing the art and architecture at the Vatican, Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery in Florence, and the color and expanse of Cinque Terre’s fishing villages, rugged coastline, and scenic landscape; as well as exploring the Tower of Pisa and the canals of Venice.
Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating global citizens through education, service, and travel. By offering transferable college credit and donor-funded scholarships, GCAC actively builds pathways between rural high schools, universities, and a robust network of global nonprofit partners to provide travel program opportunities to underserved students. For more information visit www.globalcitizenadventurecorps.org.
