Kathy Jarvis considers herself lucky to have found a career that combines her passion with her profession. She has always loved spending time with older adults – and as the Seniors One Stop Coordinator, she supports them with resources and referrals in the community. While she began at NSCR doing volunteer outreach, her position has evolved to focus on working for older adults – something she is proud to do every day.
Keep reading to learn more about who Kathy is, and how she strengthens the community.
Supporting the Community by Coordinating the SOS Program
Kathy works with the program volunteers, often collaborating to ensure that clients get the help they need. While the days are often varied, one thing is consistent: the team works together to support each other and clients. They do everything they can to make sure there are up-to-date resources and key supports – especially in times of change and uncertainty. Learning new things is one of the best parts of the job so It can be shared with others.
Kathy’s Journey to NSCR
Before shifting to NSCR, Kathy spent over 20 years working in sales and marketing. She had always felt that working in the non-profit world would be something she would enjoy, but she didn’t realize how much she could truly thrive in this kind of setting. She wanted to find a job that Involved working with people, community and shared her values. Working at NSCR fulfilled that goal.
Working with older adults to locate the resources and information they need was also something that Kathy had interest in based on her own experience with her parents. She saw some of the challenges that her parents were facing. It can be overwhelming for the families as well. Supporting people to meet their needs for independence, well-being, and community connection brings Kathy a lot of joy.
At one point, Kathy was considering going back to school to take gerontology courses. When she found the job at NSCR through a volunteer outreach job offer, she realized that through the non-profit sector there are lots of opportunities for free training and resources. There is so much available education that she hadn’t even realized. She learns a lot on the job from her own work, and from those around her. People are always sharing their knowledge and skills.
Kathy emphasized that it’s never too late to change careers, saying, “I’m proud that I took the risk and went into something very different. I’m also glad that I’m experiencing the non-profit world. [It’s the] most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I wish I had found it earlier.”
The Value of Volunteering
Volunteer work has brought Kathy to where she is now. She has always enjoyed interacting with people, and had volunteered with seniors living with dementia. It was then that she realized the area she was interested in working in. Through volunteer work, she has been able to build a career that embodies her passions and values.
Kathy started regularly volunteering once her kids grew up a bit. With that, she reflected that, “Had I known, I would have done more because volunteering opened the doors for me to change my career. It’s a good way to find out what you’re interested in and what you’re good at.”
A Team to Be Proud Of
Kathy is proud of the work that the team at NSCR does, and wants people to know about all the things we do. Above all, she wants people to know that we are always here to listen. Everything is confidential, so privacy and discretion aren’t something you need to worry about. Even if there are things we don’t have immediate answers to, our dedicated team will take the time to find out.
She is also proud that she found something in her life that she truly cares about and that she can make a difference in somebody else’s life – no matter how small that difference may seem. Kathy says her job is extremely rewarding and she is grateful that she’s been able to make this her life. She feels lucky to work with such a great people who support each other and share similar values.
Life Outside of NSCR
When she isn’t at work, Kathy cherishes time spent with friends. Since COVID, she and a group of women have taken up golf and staying active. These relationships bring Kathy a lot of joy and are important to her.
Point of interest: Kathy doesn’t know her ancestry. Both of her parents were adopted. Later in life she has discovered that she has some new relatives!
Kathy’s Final Thoughts
When asked what her final thoughts were, Kathy said:
“I would just like to say that I feel very lucky to work with the people I work with in supporting seniors. When you work with people who have similar values, you can do amazing things together. Some days can be really challenging but when you’re working with people who support you and feel the same way, it is very rewarding.”
Volunteer and Visit!
If you would like to volunteer for or learn more about the SOS program, reach out to Kathy at kathy.jarvis@nscr.ca or 604.982.3312.
Service Types: Seniors Support,