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Joe-Ann McComb is the Executive Director of Kinbridge Community Association for the past 11 years. Joe-Ann passionately engages community in creating a neighbourhood of belonging.

Joe-Ann leads a team who actively engages and empowers community through positive relationship building and the facilitation of programs and services that embrace equity, inclusion and diversity. Her volunteerism and professional career in the nonprofit sector gives her 30 years of experience committed to community development with all ages from pre-birth to seniors, meeting people where they are at. Joe-Ann holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University specializing in Therapeutic Recreation and Community Development. She was a National Trainer for Families and Schools Together Canada and a graduate of the pilot “Certificate in Senior Management and Leadership” through Conestoga College.

As a senior leader and Board member in social service and recreation organizations, Joe-Ann is continually motivated by the creative solutions of individuals and communities when they work together. Her Board service include Family and Children Services including term as President and the Alliance for Children and Youth including term as Vice Chair. Joe-Ann is excited to continue engaging and learning alongside people to create a space where everyone can belong.

 

Areas of Expertise: Community Development; Nonprofit Organization Leadership; Building Networks, Relationships and Capacity.

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Are you looking to get out of the house? Meet new friends? Looking for some programs and activities in your neighbourhood?

Tuesdays 12:00pm – 2:00pm Walk & Talk Social

$1/Drop-in – Join us for indoor walk and talk social. Enjoy a light walk, stretch and meet new people!

Thursdays 12:30pm – 2:30pm Bridge Social

$2/Drop-in – Play Bridge, have fun and meet new people! Coffee and tea will be available.

Meet Haedin, one of KCAs youngest and most dedicated volunteers. His compassion and passion for giving back to the community can be seen in the many events and programs he assists in. From picking up litter in our annual Earth Day event, serving food at our Volunteer Recognition dinner, helping decorate the hall for Breakfast with Santa, serving hot dogs at our Bike Rodeo or just playing outside with local youth, Haedin can always be counted on for a smile and good attitude.

This past Halloween Haedin asked his mother “…instead of buying candy to give out to kids at home could they buy candy for the community centres to give out…” which his mother happily obliged. Staff were able to make enough bags of candy to give out to all the local kids who visit the centres.

Thank you Haedin.

Chris is a local literary enthusiast who lives in the area of Southwood Resource Centre. While visiting SRC the first time he had the opportunity to help staff with after school snack. While chatting and mingling with many of our local youth Chris was hooked into the beauty and diversity of the centre and our neighbors and has been an avid volunteer ever since.

Using his artistic talents to bring joy to the faces of young and old, Chris comes to the centre with pockets of balloons and creative genius. As large crowds of children form around him you can see the happiness this chaotic event creates for all who are there. I am pretty sure most of us here can now proudly announce we can create a balloon sword from our lessons with Chris.

Thank you Chris!

John is a friendly volunteer with KCA who donated his time assisting us with some heavier maintenance we needed in our Southwood Resource Centre. On one afternoon while here it was incredibly hot and humid in our centre and outside. He noticed all the children who played inside and outside of our community centre and shared in helping staff hand out snacks to the many kids who come in.

John went home that eve and shared his heartwarming and fun afternoon with his sister Teresa, a local school teacher in the City of Cambridge. They decided it would be a great opportunity for them to help out. John and Teresa purchased and donated enough freezies to last an entire summer in both of our resource centres to help our young friends keep cool on our hot and humid days.

Thank you John and Teresa.

Say hello to Pam, office manager and nine year veteran at Kinbridge. She speaks about Kinbridge warm-heartedly.  Pam starts by saying “Kinbridge is very grassroots based, it provides social, recreation and education programs to the community. Great place to work, great staff, great programs, lots of opportunities for everyone.”

She was asked what connects her to Kinbridge and explains she has a step son and great nephew that access some programs at Kinbridge. As well, the organization allows her to utilize her skills, experiences and education and allows her to enhance them by giving her even more education in the field and useful experience. She loves being able to use her creativity in many ways here.

A jack of all trades she handles the Kinbridge office with a professional touch. She keeps everything organized and uses her skills to keep the financial and administrative aspects (like registration and so on) of the office running smoothly. She has used her skills with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word extensively to create charts to assist the organization in tracking information in all its goings on; for example she created a chart to keep track of hours worked, lieu hours accumulated and many other important points of information.

From some graphic designing (like tickets for events) to data bases, she’s been providing Kinbridge with the means to keep track of everything in an efficient and creative manner. She’s used her mind to take care of Kinbridge problems and programs and become connected to Kinbridge through As mentioned before, she has a stepson and nephew that keep her connected to Kinbridge. Pam’s stepson is in Kinbridge summer camps and participates in some of the cooking programs. She’s excited to say next year he will be a part of the [lead] program. Her nephew has just started with the “My First Dance Class” program and is taking part in the “Get Ready for School” programs as well.

What keeps Pam involved with KCA is what the organization stands for, “I just love the idea of Kinbridge and its whole purpose and how it serves the community. It’s good to its staff, staff works well together and it’s a great team environment.” During her nine years here she’s found the growth over that time at Kinbridge fascinating. The three sites and community have expanded so much and Pam is happy to see this.

She continues, “I love what I do. I love my job, I love my coworkers. It’s a good place to come, I have no problem getting up in the morning and coming to work.” Pam finishes the interview by saying, “I’ve had many, many jobs and this is, more or less, you could say is my dream job… This is where I’ve been most content.”

Can you tell me about Kinbridge?

I’ve been involved with Kinbridge since 2005. I came off the board of directors from Southwood and moved onto the Board of Kinbridge. I’m here because I know what the programs that Kinbridge does for our community and I support that 100%. They do all sorts of recreational programs for kids of all ages.

They have programs moms and tots, afterschool programs, camps in the summer. They do the whole age and now I believe they are starting to serve seniors. It’s meeting the community’s needs. From my past work I know that some of the things that are needed for kids are affordable recreation for kids and camps in the summer. I know that they need to meet people and be in groups of people and working towards a goal. Good things and helping out in their community. I think the community garden is a wonderful thing that Kinbridge has in connection with the school and community and that kind of helps our community grow caring for each other basically.

Why do you keep being connected?

I truly believe in it. I believe in the work that it does and I just think it’s a wonderful thing in our community and I want to support it.

Can you tell me about Kinbridge?

I don’t even know what to say, somebody has to be here to know what it is to know exactly what it is to get the gist of it. It’s like it’s community built, they’re there to help, not away from you, they are there to give to you. They do afterschool programs, bike rodeos, drop ins, family outreach, inREACH, all that.

A lot of programs I have to think about it. All the afterschools, the foodbank downstairs, help with clothes, grocery cards and stuff.

When did you first get involved?

Kinbridge sent me to summer camp when I was ten, sent me to Timmies camp and then I was an LIT. Then I’m here afterschool, summer camp, bike rodeo. Get paid now as a leader.

Why do you keep being connected?

Everyone smiles. Nobody’s grouchy. Get involved.