Ashley Ridgway (centre) accepts a grant on behalf of Houston Community Services Association from the Telus Friendly Future Foundation.
Houston, BC – Ashley Ridgway doesn't just talk about helping her community—she lives it every day.
As coordinator of the Family Support Program at Houston Community Services Association, Ashley supports families in her community with developing life skills to help parents keep their children at home or to reunite them with their children. She is also responsible for managing the budget, bookkeeping, tracking data, and training other employees at the association.
Besides the administrative side of the job, Ashley says, “I also get to do a lot of fun stuff, which is probably my favourite part of the job. We go to different events and host fundraisers or other events that encourage and promote new programming.” She adds that her and her co-workers also attend career fairs, parent-teacher conferences, and community events, so as to make people aware of the association and to encourage funders to support the organization and its mission.
Ashley finds that any misconceptions or stigma against social workers and those who access social support systems generally change when people need these services. For example, last year in Houston the Canfor sawmill, which was one of the biggest economic drivers in the community, shut down leaving about 500 people unemployed. A number of those people now need the supports provided by Houston Community Services Association, particularly income and emotional regulation supports. Ashley says the people coming to them for assistance are often very surprised to find the association’s services really helpful.
One of Ashley’s biggest successes on the job came when she helped the association open a second-hand store. In a partnership with the local school district, the store is where high schoolers who volunteer there can earn credits towards their graduation, while also gaining workplace confidence and skills.
With few youth programs in Houston, Ashley says many young people began turning to substance misuse, so offering the opportunity to work in the store was an attempt to find alternative solutions for the teens.
Ashley is always looking for the next way to help her community and advocate for those who are struggling. Currently, as is the case in many BC communities, housing in Houston is a major problem and Ashley’s next goal is to help gain more options for vulnerable individuals and families.
“I’ve started looking into the development of a women’s transition house and new safe, secure family housing through BC Housing,” she says. “I go to community council meetings, and I’ve actually been asked to run for a counselor position on the town council.”
Reflecting on why she chose this line of work, which can at times be demanding and emotionally taxing, Ashley says she always knew her future career would be community-oriented.
“Growing up in a tiny town, I really loved seeing all the different events going on, like trade shows, serendipity sales, and other events that brought the community together,” she says of her upbringing in Houston. “Being able to encourage community togetherness was something I always wanted to be part of.”
Ashley also knew that being educated and trained in the social service sector would open many doors for her, and that she could find work in almost any community she chooses.
“Social work allows you to find something that you’re passionate about. There’s so many options for you as a person with a diploma in social work that if you don’t like one place you’re working, find another,” she says, listing the non-profit sector, Northern Health, mental health and addictions, and the school district as just a few of the many options available. “There’s so many different avenues that you can look at with the diploma. The possibilities are endless,” she says.
Ashley chose the Social Service Worker (SSW) Diploma Program at Coast Mountain College (CMTN) so she could stay close to her hometown, and she had heard about the different learning opportunities students at CMTN experience.
“The College’s reputation of doing field work and [learning] outside the classroom really piqued my interest, because the way I learn is by being thrown into things and experiencing them first-hand rather than sitting and reading a textbook.”
Ashley says she thoroughly enjoyed her time at CMTN, in particular the opportunities to interact with local social service organizations and government offices to find out what working in the field is actually like. As a student, she participated in the “Point-in-Time Count,” a nationally coordinated measure of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in a specified geographical area on a single night.
Ashley also attributes the support she received as a student at CMTN as a big factor in the enjoyment she experienced attending school and her overall understanding of the field of social work.
“I really appreciate the College and the way that it’s set up and the support that I got from professors. I was a C-minus average student in high school, and didn’t expect much more from myself going into college, but I ended up graduating with a 3.8 [grade point average].” Ashley goes on to say that she did really well in her courses, which she thinks was a result of the support she received from her instructors and their understanding of her needs and learning style.
Learn more about the Social Service Worker (SSW) Diploma Program at CMTN.
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