EPC Staff Spotlight – Meet Kate!

Kate has been with EPC for 10 years! Watch her interview (Length - 3:39) or continue reading below to learn more about Kate and working in the Volunteer Coordination Team at EPC.

What is your role at EPC?

My role at EPC is as a Coordinator of Volunteers. My role incorporates recruitment, training, coaching and leadership to a team of volunteers.

Why did you pursue this role/career?  

After having my first child (she’s now 11), I decided that corporate life wasn’t for me – it was a incredibly demanding job with a lot of travel and long commutes and I wanted to do something that included giving back to the community. Part time really appealed so that I could have some work/life balance and spend time with my child. Nearly everyone at EPC works part time so it is a good balance.  

How long have you worked for EPC? 

10 years in October

Has your career progressed since you’ve started?

It sure has. After 6 years in a learning and development focussed role, I was looking for my next challenge and a role came up within the Volunteer Services Division. 
My background had been in a number of specialist HR roles and this just consolidated all those skills as well as broadened my leadership background.  

What stands out to you about EPC as an organisation?

I think if you are someone that wants to give back there is incredible sense of satisfaction and fulfilment in working at a place like EPC. It’s a real privilege being part of this space. Our volunteers often say they get so much out of this work than they give.

We have some exciting initiatives presently around diversity and inclusion and First Nations Peoples  and staff can get involved in these working groups to suggest policy and procedure changes.

EPC support further training and development and encourage staff to build on their skills.
Training is regularly provided and supported externally.

What is something about you that others may not know?

I studied a zoology degree but ended up working with humans. I do also have a psychology major so I’m not completely underqualified to be in this space.

What is the best part of your job and why? 

The best part of my job is working with over 200 incredible volunteers, we are a diverse bunch and we have a lot of fun. We also do some really special work for our clients, that feeling that you’ve turned someone’s day around when they’re going through so much is pretty incredible. So, for anyone watching I’d encourage you to jump on our website and have a look. There are so many ways to help out someone who is dying and some of them you may not have thought of.

I think I felt before I understood palliative care that it would be incredibly sad, all the time. Whilst of course there is sadness, predominately we are helping people to live well while they are dying. 
There’s something about a volunteer visit that can take our clients away from the medical focus and that can be freeing. 

I also adore my crazy team, we work really hard but there is always time for hilarity. There is a lot of joy around our work, both in the office and out with our clients. 

What is the most challenging part of your job? And how do you deal/overcome this? 

I think in vol services it’s just the pure volume of information we are taking in regarding our volunteers, clients and keeping everyone informed. We have a great manager and a great team and really great processes at EPC so it works really well.

Describe a typical day for you?

I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day in vol services.
We never know what’s going to transpire… It could be a client or vol issue we need to help solve, or a vol may drop in or call and need to debrief, we get referrals from the wider EPC staff and we work matching clients with the right volunteer. We plan and run fun and educational events for our volunteers. We have a recruitment season and run that completely and we train a new intake of vols every year. 

Who inspires you? This can be a colleague, author, celebrity, world leader etc

My kids inspire me… I’ve learnt so much about myself watching and helping them grow.
 

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