After 13 years as the general manager at Family Works, Liz Nolan is stepping down to spend more time with her family and friends.
Mrs Nolan said you came to a place when you knew the time was right for change.
‘‘That time is now for me,’’ she said.
When Mrs Nolan was offered the role at Presbyterian Support South Canterbury in May 2010, she said there were only 16 staff members working for her; it had now grown to 43.
Mrs Nolan could recall Michael Parker, the CEO at the time, telling her that her primary focus was to grow the service and to ‘‘raise our profile’’ in the community.
She felt together with Carolyn Cooper, the CEO for the past five years, ‘‘we have certainly achieved that’’.
She was confident most people in South Canterbury and the agencies services knew about Family Works Services and the extensive range of services they provided in the community.
She said it was an ‘‘absolute privilege’’ to have been given the opportunity to grow and develop Family Works Services.
‘‘I am immensely grateful for the opportunities that I have been given and for the support that I have received during this time.’’
She said the organisation’s challenges were the same as they were 13 years ago, with some of the contracts in place not covering all of the work the organisation undertook.
‘‘Demand for services exceeds what we are funded to provide.
‘‘We rely heavily on donations from other areas, grants, bequeaths and formal applications to trusts on an annual basis.’’
With these the organisation could provide the level of support it was able to offer in the community.
As for changes, Mrs Nolan felt the biggest was the increase in the complexity of the work staff undertook.
‘‘Which means people are engaged with our services for longer.’’
She said the knock-on effect was that it could take people a little longer to access services.
There was also an increase in the number of people who were seeking support due to food poverty, cost of living, rent increases, homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol addiction issues and family violence.
‘‘The biggest change would be the demand for our food bank. This has doubled over the past four years. We are seeing a lot more people walking off the street desperately needing help and support.’’
The Presbyterian Support South Canterbury board provided funds of more than $500,000 for Family Works Service each year, which allowed the organisation to provide a wide range of services in the community.
Mrs Nolan felt the money was an investment in the community.
But there was still room for the organisation to grow.
‘‘We are not funded for adult counselling so anyone over the age of 18 would have to fund this themselves. Some people can do this, but for most people this is not an affordable option.’’
Mrs Nolan could say ‘‘hand on heart’’ it was an amazing job.
She had been ‘‘so proud to say who I work for’’.
‘‘We really make a difference in the lives of people every day.’’
She felt the organisation not only cared about the people who sought their services, but about staff as well.
‘‘Staff at Family Works — and the incredible work they do every day — and the passion they have for what they do’’.
She said she had the easy job, ‘‘they do all the hard work’’.
‘‘The support we receive from our community — for our foodbank, knitting, quilts — it is so unbelievably humbling. And our fabulous volunteers.’’
She was very thankful for the support the organisation received from local services clubs such as Lions, Rotary, Zonta and Altrusa.
She said she was still very passionate and committed to the organisation ‘‘and always will be’’, but she was excited to be taking some time for herself.
‘‘And embarking on some new adventures.’’
For now she would be at Family Works helping transition her successor into the role, and would then be moving to Rangiora.
‘‘I am looking forward to having time to do things on my to do list, but most importantly spending more time with my family and friends.
‘‘I will hold the memories and the experiences I have gained and the people that I have met as a part of this journey at PSSC close to my heart.’’
