Alexya Heelis is the executive director of United Way Saint John, Kings and Charlotte. (Image submitted by United Way)
Navigating COVID-19 has been a learning curve for the new executive director of the United Way Saint John, Kings and Charlotte
Alexya Heelis was serving on an interim basis since last fall.
Heelis says the pandemic thrust the United Way in an emergency situation dealing with food insecurity through the Great Saint John Emergency Food Program.
“We were one of the first funders of that program. When the emergency food program started it was actually started at Pulse in conjunction with the Inner City Youth Ministry. By the time we came along, the Carleton Community Centre and Horizon Health were on board,” Heelis said.
Heelis said everyone at the United Way quickly adapted to changes from COVID-19 taking just a couple of days to set everyone up to work from home.
“A couple of trips to the office to pick up office chairs so people’s backs didn’t hurt and get everybody set up with the things that they needed but, it was pretty seamless,” Heelis said.
She said each member of the team carved off a piece to take care of even if they had never done that job before, they ran with it and no one complained.
UWSJKC Board Chair, Derek O'Brien, is pleased to announce the confirmation of Alexya Heelis as our new Executive Director. Full story on FB at https://t.co/m9CzmwLZur.
Please join us in congratulating Alexya on her new role! #locallove #StrongCommunities #Leadership pic.twitter.com/w5I2mmZYMt
— SJ United Way (@SJUnitedWay) June 17, 2020
Heelis said the hardest part was not being together as a group and not having the support of each other.
While she was distanced from her team and the board, the situation presented new opportunities to work with her Atlantic colleagues from the United Way.
“All of a sudden I have these new relationships that I don’t think would have formed as easily or as well in normal times but, because now it’s not a barrier to be in the same physical space, we’ve all had to learn to adjust,” Heelis said.
When asked if her seven years with the United Way helped her to steer the organization through a pandemic, she replied “100 per cent”.
Follow
