Volunteer Kamloops is currently seeking new volunteer board members with strong connections in the community. For more information please contact us via email at president@volunteerkamloops.org or info@volunteerkamloops.org.
Sean works with Investors Group Financial Services Inc. and has led the board through a planning process that is now resulting in changes that will strengthen Volunteer Kamloops in the coming years. He currently also sits on the board of Volunteer BC.
Kim has deep roots in Kamloops and continues to be a leader locally with Rotary and the Sons of Norway, among others. Her business, Innovative Changes, offers community education and consulting services in community development, based on 20+ years of experience. She is also a Reiki practitioner and promotes wellness and thoughtful living in a column in the Echo publications. She can be heard on her weekly Community Connections program at 3 pm on Thursday afternoons on CFBX Radio 92.5 FM.
Rocio is a native of Mexico who has come to Kamloops with her husband. She has a law background and has made a strong contribution to developing structure for the Volunteer Kamloops board.
Steve sits on the board as the representative of Kamloops Youth Asset Development, which is now named Kamloops Empowering Youth Society. He is soon to be retired from his role as Principal of Arthur Hatton Elementary School, after which we believe he will be in great demand for many roles, so we hope he enjoys his first summer off!
As I take the time to get to know others in the community, here is an extended biography that will let you know a little more about me.
I grew up in northern Alberta in many small communities with large aboriginal populations, and my sense of social justice developed through experiences as a young person in these settings. I completed a BA in Political Science at Grande Prairie College and then U of Alberta, but my interest in further education and theory declined, and practical goals became more important. Immediately after graduating I began work with a resource centre of the Department of Education that produced materials for visually impaired students - reading textbooks of all kinds (social studies, literature, biology to name a few) onto tapes that were copied for use by students. While in this job I had the opportunity to learn Braille and became a professional transcriber with certification from the Library of Congress in the U.S. I ended up proficient in literary braille and reasonably competent in Nemeth Code for math and science. At the end of my work I had become head of the braille production unit. During this period I was a member of a sponsor group for a Vietnamese 'boat person' refugee in Edmonton.
Personal priorities intervened after I met my life partner (unknown at the time, of course) and we travelled by VW bus through Mexico, Guatemala and Belize before spending a year on a farm in New Brunswick. Western sunshine drew us back to Alberta, and we settled in Edmonton, where I completed an Education degree, also at U of A. There was such a glut of new teachers that finding work was challenging - I spent a year as a classroom support for a blind student, and a year as a paid Intern at one of Edmonton's largest high schools, teaching Social Studies. I was active in my local community organization, helping them create a revenue-generating daycare project and active rentals of our community hall and installing a new playground in our local park.
Again, my interest in justice issues led me to apply at the end of that job to work in a local agency doing education on international development issues. This began a five-year experience of replacing staff going on leave, through which I learned constantly and took on every job in the Centre: education programmer, resource library, office administration, handling book and international gifts sales, and organizing the annual International Film Festival which relied heavily on volunteer support. From this position I moved to be the provincial coordinator of a network of the international development and education agencies. However, the dangers of lack of diversification of funding sources came home to us when the federal government, our primary funder, set new priorities and our office along with all others in the country lost this source of funding.
My final years in Calgary were spent learning in another field: fund-raising. I designed and started the fundraising program at Father Lacombe Nursing Home, and with their support was able to take intensive training through the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. Applying that learning helped us to jump from a few thousand dollars of fundraising to over $350,000 in just one year, and almost double that in the second year. I moved on to design a fundraising plan for Kerby Centre (seniors service centre), and then switched to consulting in fundraising. As a small-town person I wasn't comfortable in Calgary at 900,000 population and looked for new adventures. I moved to Manitoba to buy what may have been the cheapest house ever sold on the MLS system, moved and renovated - taking on a position as Coordinator of a rural adult literacy program serving 5-6 surrounding communities in the winter season. I was also trained for and carried out many bus tours of British tourists between Vancouver and Calgary, learning more about how a company trains and manages workers from a great distance using policy and procedures as the bedrock of the role.
Coming to BC was a fortunate circumstance common to many boomers, as inherited resources allowed us to fulfill our dream of starting a small farm - from the ground up! Coming out of semi-retirement was prompted by seeking some part-time work. The position at Volunteer Kamloops offers both a challenge and a learning opportunity, so I am very happy to have the opportunity to work here. I look forward to working with the board and the community to create programs and services that will contribute to stronger agencies and great volunteer experiences.
Edith is well known to many in Kamloops as an ardent proponent of the value and benefits of volunteering. Her work experience as an employment counsellor and case manager in both Barriere and Kamloops involved facilitation of inforamtion sessions, career planning and personal development workshops as well as job search assistance. She undertook extensive professional development throughout that period, and demonstrated skills in working with people of diverse backgrounds and personal circumstances.
At the same time, she undertook long-term volunteer roles with the Provincial Emergency Program as a counsellor; with the Red Cros Child Abuse Prevention Program, and as a board members with Community Futures in Kamloops and the University College of the Cariboo (TRU predecessor) Advisory group in Barriere. After moving to Kamloops she continued to volunteer for many groups and causes, with one such role being with Volunteer Kamloops.
She speaks from personal experience about the usefulness of volunteering and showing dedication and commitment in that role, as a stepping-stone to employment. It was due to exactly those characteristics as a volunter with Volunteer Kamloops, as well as her knowledge and human relations skills, that she was successful in applying for the role of Coordinator of the Focus program in 2003. The FOCUS program continues to serve many clients each year with mental health challenges. The more intensive Therapeutic Volunteer Program has also been successful in assisting clients move toward their personal goals, in several cases leading to employment. Through her eight years with this organization she has been recognized as a key component of Volunteer Kamloops' services in the community.
Robert is a recent graduate of the Human Service Worker program at TRU. He brings many years of experience to Volunteer Kamloops such as the military, technical support, electronics, insurance, and software sales. Besides his work at Volunteer Kamloops, he volunteers as a moderator on a suicide/depression prevention website.
Robert started on the path of entering into the helping fields by volunteering online. It was from there that his interest in helping others really took hold enough to the point that got out of the business world, and found the opportunity to go back to university to gain his Human Service Worker diploma. He's now hanging his hat at Volunteer Kamloops.
He is honoured to serve the people of Kamloops, and he really sees the positive impact that volunteering has on individuals, and the community.
He's lived in Kamloops for over 10 years, and he absolutely loves the weather here as he's lived in the prairies quite a bit where he was used to -40 degree weather with a wind chill...-15 degrees??? HA!
He's been chosen to perform some voice work for a video game, and he's just waiting for his script. (Still)