BC Council for Families

This week, March 22-26, celebrates the United Community Services Co-op’s Passion for Work Week. This campaign encourages staff in BC non-profit organizations to take a moment and celebrate the passion for their work.

In a related story, the HR Council for the Non-Profit Sector released a report last week about small non-profits which details a remarkably high level of job satisfaction amongst staff in smaller organizations:

While job satisfaction is generally high among those who work for nonprofit organizations (4.25 out of 5 on average), those who work for small organizations report even higher levels of satisfaction with their jobs (4.4 on average). This satisfaction dovetails with the commitment paid staff feel to the missions of their organizations: nine in ten (90%) describe themselves as strongly committed to the causes their organizations support.

Last week we asked you to write in and share your passions for the work you do. We had inspiring responses from the BC Council for Families staff and the wider community. Read these passion for work stories we received, and share your own in the comments box below!

• What drives me is knowing that we are making a difference in people’s lives, and the knowledge that even the smallest tasks can have a positive impact on the organization, which translates into a positive impact for families. That can be a powerful driver, even on the worst days...

• I like that with issues and concerns being so close to the heart in our work; not being able to let it stay at work and all people being related in our community, the spill over from work to home is very stressful and very hard to deal with at home too. I like the idea of recognizing the work being done and celebrating it. We have come along way to where we are.

• The positives in my work include the possibility to use my skills to make a difference in someone’s life. I am not saving the world but sometimes I feel a training, a video, a phone call, an e-mail will help people to be more knowledgeable, to be inspired, to help others.

• I’m enthusiastic about working in the non-profit sector because I’m surrounded by people who love what they do, who believe in it and who are very passionate about it.  I work in a place where initiative and new ideas are always welcomed.

• In my work, I have the fantastic opportunity to influence the world around me in ways that I consider beneficial to individuals and to the community as a whole.  I see the work I do having benefits in the moment: pleasure, laughter, growing confidence and relationships and know that these current gains build to long-term strength and connections for all involved.
  

• The non-profit sector works to change the world!   We have more opportunity to influence the nature the purpose of our work than almost anyone who works in the government or corporate sector.   We need better wages; did you notice?   And our agencies need to have a more stable financial base in order that all of use can do an even better job, but the passion, the thinking, the creativity and the connections make a fabulous contribution to our lives.

• What really motivates me for the work we do in non-profit communications is being part of a positive movement. There are so many self-fulfilling projects and enterprises that fail to consider and take care of people because it’s deemed irrelevant. I love that the Council exists purely to ensure that services for families exist to help them through thick and thin. Good is a force.

• What keeps me enthusiastic about working in the non-profit sector? Our society needs strong families.   As I see it, there is no better way for me to support families than to work in the non-profit sector.  I want a job where I can dedicate my time and effort to ensuring that families are recognized, supported, and celebrated.  Even though issues like job security or salary might make another sector attractive I still stay in this sector because I want to be involved in work that matters to my community and me. 
  

• I get most of my satisfaction from seeing small changes in families that result from the work of the dedicated professionals in family service work – parenting is such a hard job, but the smallest adjustment in how people deal with situations and behaviours can have profound effects years later. It’s great when a parent finds some little tool or response that creates a better relationship with their kids, and I see how that will blossom into that child feeling better about themselves and in turn, being healthier in all their future relationships and development.

• I love supporting workers to find resources and tools to help them in their jobs. This field is so demanding yet so under-appreciated; family service workers need lots of support and recognition to see how important their jobs are, and that they have a huge impact on their clients and on the community. They can’t always see how much they help, since many families are stressed and in crisis, so at the time it seems the work is about just keeping everyone functioning. But in the big picture, these workers are helping families to make their kids’ lives healthier and happier, which will lead to better outcomes for those kids and a healthier and happier community and province in the future.

• It’s important for me to help people in need and help make our community the best place to live.

• To quote Helen Keller “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And just because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”