Although words are our business, sometimes we struggle to find the right ones, slaving over a single sentence for hours as we try to relay a message to the public.
Our brains go blank as we attempt to describe a traumatic scene, explain complicated scientific data or artfully craft an analogy that captures the significance of an event. This week, our struggle was to sum up the work of Community and Family Services (CFS) and, more specifically, the work of its director, Kathleen Waxer.
You see, over the last 30 years Waxer has built Jasper鈥檚 community outreach model from the ground up, creating a one-stop shop that provides programs and supports to people in every lifestage, from early childhood to adulthood.
It鈥檚 a model that鈥檚 been lauded for years by the provincial government and other service providers for its ingenuity and its success. But, somehow there is no simple way to sum up the work of CFS.
If we had to give a reason for that鈥攊n our own defense鈥攊t鈥檚 because much of the department's work is done under the radar, allowing it to often go unnoticed.
It鈥檚 confidential, quiet work.
Broadly, the department is responsible for creating connections that reduce isolation and prevent harm. It connects people to the community through its programs and services and, in doing so, lessens the stigma of seeking out help when life gets tough.
It offers programming for new mothers, bringing them to the outreach office for playtime with their kids, ensuring there is an opportunity for them to meet their peers and the early childhood outreach worker.
It connects teens with one another and with the community, offering fun events and programs led by the teen outreach worker.
It connects Jasper鈥檚 vulnerable populations, providing a drop-in centre where they can meet for a coffee and share stories, giving them a place to go during the day and allowing outreach workers to keep an eye on their wellbeing.
It connects the entire community, offering the opportunity for Jasperites young and old to sit down together for a meal on Sunday evenings, providing socialization and community building during the darkest, coldest months of the year.
And it connects those who are struggling in life with services and agencies that can help them succeed.
We know these examples hardly even scrape the surface of what CFS brings to the community, but we hope they provide an idea of the department鈥檚 overall importance.
It can鈥檛 be quantified. But, it can be seen in the connections that are made and fostered through the hard work of Waxer and her team.
We commend them for that work and hope to see it continue鈥攂ecause, although it might go unnoticed now, it would surely be missed if it was gone.
