Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way

I was fortunate to be selected as the summer student Community Development Assistant during my final year of my undergraduate studies at Thompson Rivers University, in the city I grew up in. As a Bachelor of Business Administration student majoring in Human Resources and Marketing, I spent the last four years studying the theories of business practice and administration - focused on profitable business management, economics, principles of law and human behavior studies. What I didn’t realize was that my experience at United Way would change my view of the community I grew up in, as well as the capacity in which I could use the skills I have acquired through my education.

In my four month employment period with Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way, I planned and facilitated a dozen or so Days of Caring. These events are designed to engage individuals and organizations with the community through volunteering. Taking advantage of an unprecedented networking opportunity, I was able to work with everyone from the working poor, to hard-working single parents, to senior managers from large corporations. Sometimes working with a minute budget and sometimes with large grants, the work also ranged dramatically – many days of painting, gardening, cleaning, cooking, and building have been logged. My business management education rapidly transformed into trades experience, resource and event planning and time- and people-management skills. 

The networking opportunities during my employment with Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way swelled beyond the influential people I was able to work with during Days of Caring. Introduced to non-profit groups from throughout Kamloops and the surrounding Thompson Nicola Cariboo region, I began to develop an understanding of the functions of non-profit agencies. The plight and perseverance of the Kamloops Food Bank and its increased patronage in the last year, the ever-expanding workload and relentless positive attitude at ASK Wellness and CMHA, and the concentrated efforts of community members as a part of the “Changing the Face of Poverty” group all opened my eyes to a collective effort and focus that goes beyond standard business practice. This, of course, is to only name a handful of the compassionate and talented people I had the pleasure of encountering this summer. An astonishing 30 non-profit agencies stepped up to take part in our 6^th annual Community Carnival – an unprecedented number that created unmatched fundraising opportunities for participants.

The dozens of people I was able to meet in my months here each played a part in creating the new, more empathetic view I have of Kamloops. Each and every one of these people is working hard every day to make our community a better, more inclusive place. My education in human behavior inverted, and I began to understand the reasons behind my own behaviors – why and how these peoples’ work and stories shaped my thinking. I stopped thinking about “me” and instead shifted focus to “we”. I discovered that I too, could become a part of the force of change. Any person can make the change, and to begin it may be small steps – giving some time at the SPCA to walk the dogs and pet the cats, spending a few extra dollars at the grocery store to leave an item or two in the Food Bank donation bin, or even just picking up garbage at your local park – the outcome, a feeling of pride and of having made a valuable contribution, will urge you to do more next time. Perhaps make weekly visits to the Boys and Girls Club or the CMHA Clubhouse to help out, or even to “adopt a Little” at Big Brothers & Big Sisters. Once such a thing is experienced, the feeling of being able to contribute is so great, I can’t imagine going back.

I will never forget my second day of work, when my officemates and I tackled a project to build a storage shed for a man who had just been housed after decades on the street – he needed a secure shed in order to be eligible for a Government grant-funded mobility scooter. That day we helped a man who previously didn’t have a lot of positivity in his life feel proud and hopeful for his bright new future. And he was not afraid to shake each of our hands and give us each a sincere “Thank You”. That day he felt as though he became a part of the community, and thus demonstrated the power of inclusivity.

Though my summer employment with Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way will come to a dreaded end in September, I will never forget my experience here and the way it shifted my perception of “community”. I transitioned from looking at a community as being the physical entity in which I live, to a place where people from all walks of life exist as one - together, we make up a whole. We may not all know each other, or have time to say hello every day, but we live here together, and have to rely on each other every day, whether we think about it or not. I believe in my community, and that our success depends on the people who live in it. I believe everyone’s potential can be realized. I believe in possibility.