There's a new face taking the helm of Penhold Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
Jennifer Van Caeseele started her new job as a district community worker just last week. She's following in the footsteps of Gloria Bulmer. Bulmer recently retired after 18 years of service to the town.
Van Caeseele might be new to the FCSS job but isn't new to the Town of Penhold, where she's been working in administration for the past year.
The switch to FCSS, however, lets the 25-year-old apply her education.
"My education background is based in community," Van Caeseele said, noting her degree, which she got from the University of Calgary, is in sociology. She explained sociology is in part "identifying needs and trying to help."
The Springbrook resident originally hails from Saskatchewan but has been living in the Red Deer area for the past several years.
Even though she'd just been on the job for a few days when interviewed, Van Caeseele had already been out meeting community groups.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I'm starting to get out there."
FCSS is about helping people in the community in a variety of ways. Van Caeseele said a large part of the role is to help people and groups find the resources they need to make their projects work or reach personal goals.
"FCSS is preventative," Van Caeseele said. It "helps support and sustain people."
Van Caeseele said part of her job is "identifying a need before it becomes a crisis situation."
An initial step will be to try and determine what those needs are.
"One of my first goals in this position is to do a needs assessment," Van Caeseele said. She's hoping to continue programs that Bulmer set up in the past, including the volunteer appreciation event.
Van Caeseele is looking forward to applying her education as well as local and volunteer experience to the position.
"I'm just very passionate about helping people," she said. "Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes."
Van Caeseele works out of the Town of Penhold office at the Penhold Regional Multiplex. She can be reached at 403-886-3288.
