SUNDRE – When the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place (GNP) Society’s new executive director first came to town with thoughts of winding back a bit to enjoy retirement, she still felt an unmistakable calling that compelled her to get involved in giving back to the community.
“I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Donny Krahn told the Albertan. “I still felt like I had something to offer, so began as a volunteer with Greenwood Neighbourhood Place.”
Bringing with her a background in fundraising, Krahn said she agreed to join the society’s fundraising committee.
“Not knowing a lot about the organization at that point, I was immediately struck by the passion the committee members had for the community and the work that is done here,” she wrote by email in response to questions.
“Their desire for Sundre to be a strong, thriving community involves finding ways to assist those in difficult situations as well as providing programs for everyone to build connections and belong.”
Originally from Ontario, Krahn relocated to Calgary in the early ’80s before eventually deciding to settle in Sundre just a couple of years ago.
Her first official day on the job as the society’s new executive director was June 23. Before choosing to make Sundre her home in 2021, Krahn developed an extensive repertoire of experience in both the private sector as well as with non-profit organizations, all of which she says prepared her for this role.
“I worked for 15 years as a legal secretary before entering the world of non-profits,” she said, adding that included a stint as the assistant director of Operation Christmas Child followed by some time working as operations director with the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre.
Although generating enough revenue to sustain a non-profit organization’s continued operations and program delivery is no simple stroll through the park with a single silver bullet solution, Krahn expressed confident optimism about the community.
“I have seen how the residents of Sundre are very generous when they know of a need; we have a real need,” she said, adding there are many people regularly turning to the society to access resources, services and programs.
The society launched more than 20 years ago as a result of a government grant initiative for communities to develop and implement “a one-stop-shop for information and referrals to community services,” she said.
“Since that time, our mandate has grown to include many other services and programs that benefit Sundre and area.”
However, government grants tend not to be particularly consistently reliable as a result of economic and political shifts, she said.
“Several years ago, this caused a reduction in our operating hours. With the needs still great and continuing to grow, intentional fundraising efforts needed to be pursued,” she said.
The society has since launched an ongoing campaign called Sundre Strong with the objective of restoring those hours.
After stepping up to volunteer on the society’s fundraising committee, Krahn said the executive director’s position eventually came up.
“Having now spent some time with the organization and beginning to understand the heart of what they do, I decided to pursue the opportunity,” she said.
“The support I have received from the board and staff during this steep learning curve has been nothing short of incredible. Sundre is so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of individuals working tirelessly to be a hub of support and resources for this community. It is rare and I am so fortunate to be a small part of it.”
Still fairly early on in her new role, Krahn described a steep learning curve that “has at times been daunting.”
But she said she looks forward to being challenged in the knowledge that the experience will create opportunities for personal growth while along the way – and with support from the society’s incredibly compassionate staff – having a positive impact on the community.
“The staff here, supported by a very active and thoughtful board, is making the transition so much easier,” she said.
Krahn also recognized and called inspiring the numerous other community groups that strive to offer residents many valuable services, and she aspires to look at ways to foster relationships to work together toward the common objective of ensuring everyone has what they need to help them succeed.
Looking ahead, her priorities for the time being will primarily revolve around continuing on with programs that have been implemented, such as The Den – Sundre Youth Centre, which “is only in its second year and continuing to grow. We have just hired a new program director and are excited to see the direction she will take it.”
Additionally, she said the society intends to keep open the lines of communications with financial contributors.
“We want to be more accountable to our many donors, being more intentional in how we communicate with them,” she said.
The society also appreciates all of the support from Sundre and area residents, and encourages anyone who has not already done so to consider becoming a monthly financial partner, she said.
“It takes many, giving a little, in a regular way to reach our goal to increase our operational hours,” she said.
During the July 19 annual general meeting, outgoing executive director Sari Werezak said, “We’ve persevered with new challenges, like increases in crisis situations and people coming in with complex needs. We are not outreach workers, yet find ourselves making sure hand-offs to other service providers are followed up on and providing a caring ear when necessary.”
Werezak went onto say that keeping up with current levels of programming while having fewer hours to provide information and services has proven to be stressful and continues to stretch staff.
“Although there are more needs than can be met effectively, there remains hope,” she said. “This hope is rooted in the triumphant human spirit exhibited by all those who support this organization, including donors who believe in what we do and help us strengthen this sector in our community.”
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