CRAZY FOR CATS. On Oct. 15, just days prior to the opening of Craig's Closet, the Jayna Kelley Memorial Foundation gifted Craig's Closet a $5,000 check to support more shelving for the pantry plus the creation of a sidewalk directly to the pantry. (Photo via Facebook)

When Craig Spehle first heard that his longtime friends Shelli and Jim Schuppel were planning to buy an old church in downtown Eau Claire to transform it into a cat café and lounge — complete with 15 to 20 adoptable felines in partnership with the Eau Claire Community Humane Association (ECCHA) — his initial reaction was simple: “They’re crazy.”

“Jim was retired, and Shelli already had a great but stressful job,” Craig recalled during the grand opening of Craig’s Closet on Oct. 19. “But once I saw they were serious, I was all in. I started coming up with ideas — and since I’m mechanically minded, I knew I could help in a lot of ways.”

One of Craig’s biggest visions became a reality: A free, no-questions-asked pet food pantry located directly behind Mr. Kitty’s Cat Café & Boutique (502 S. Farwell Street, Eau Claire). The pantry offers pet food for cats, dogs, and rabbits, as well as litter, new and gently used dishes, cat towers, pet beds, toys, and more.

Craig Spehle, middle back, pictured with Mr. Kitty's Cat Café's owners and crew. 

Nearly 50 volunteers and supporters gathered to celebrate the opening. Craig said the inspiration for the project came from a radio news story he heard about a family forced to surrender their pets due to a medical emergency and financial hardship.

“I thought, what better location for a pet food pantry than right across from the new Eau Claire Transit Center — where people who need help can take the bus and walk right over here?” Craig said.

He noted that the only other pet food pantry in Eau Claire is located at the ECCHA facility at 3900 Old Town Hall Rd., which is only accessible by car and is not on the bus line.

Once the idea took root, Shelli dove into fundraising mode. Craig and Shelli even took a pie in the face to do so! And though Craig is a humble guy, Shelli made an executive decision: The pantry would be named “Craig’s Closet” in his honor.

The project required a commercial-grade structure, beginning with a cement pad and then the construction of a 20-by-10-foot shed. From start to finish, the build took just a little over a year.

Funding and in-kind support came from the Jayna Kelley Memorial Foundation, Market & Johnson, and countless amazing additional business and individual supporters.

Then, just days before the grand opening, the Jayne Kelley Foundation provided an additional $5,000 grant to help fund shelving and a handicap-accessible sidewalk connecting Craig’s Closet to the public walkway.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 11am on Nov. 5. Operating hours for the pantry are still being finalized based on volunteer availability.

Folks perusing Craig's Closet's offerings at the Oct. 19 grand opening. (Photo by Barbara Arnold)

“We’re so grateful to the community for all their help in making Craig’s Closet a reality,” Shelli said.

On the day of the pantry's grand opening, Shelli proudly shared that Mr. Kitty’s had celebrated its 335th cat adoption (the cat café opened in April of last year).

Craig’s Closet relies entirely on donations of new or gently used pet supplies, food, and litter. Monetary donations can be made on the ECCHA website online, by choosing: Craig's Closet Pet Food Pantry at Mr. Kitty's Cafe.

To schedule a physical donation drop-off at Mr. Kitty's Cat Café and Craig's Closet (502 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire), call (715) 514-1910 or email mrkittyscatcafe@gmail.com. For more information, visit mrkittyscatcafe.com or follow Mr. Kitty’s Cat Café on Facebook (@MrKittysCatCafe).