When Cathy Brown joined BC SVP in 2002, she had been looking to get more involved in the downtown community where she lives. Like many people, however, she wasn’t sure what opportunities existed to put her experience and skills to good use. “It can be challenging to arrange that level of involvement independently,” she comments, “but BC SVP gave me a vehicle to get involved in a meaningful way. That was my biggest driver, and it has absolutely been fulfilled.”

Cathy was able to use her technology, sales and marketing experience to help first Covenant House, and then Quest and Potluck Café Society. With husband George heavily involved in Fast Track to Employment, she found herself contributing there as well – though they enjoy working on different projects. “We work together all day already – it’s okay if we work with different Grantees for SVP!” she jokes.

Her assistance has undoubtedly been a blessing for the Grantees she’s worked with. Her technology background was invaluable in helping Quest to get their warehouse inventory system established. The new system helped Quest take their operation to the next level, and they went on to win Vancity’s $1 Million Dollar Award in 2006.

Cathy is quick to point out that for all that she’s contributed, she’s also learned a lot. “I had no idea of the incredible talents of some of the people working in social enterprise, and I’m constantly amazed by what these organizations do. They face challenges in addition to the ones faced by for-profit companies and are still able to succeed – and that’s been big learning for me. Yes, there are problems, but there are a lot of great groups out there doing really wonderful work.”