In recognition of International Women's Day, the Airdrie City View is profiling three women in local leadership positions. The first is Brenda Hume.
For more than two decades, Brenda Hume has been on the front lines helping women, seniors and families find the supports they need in the Airdrie and north Rocky View County region.
For the past 19 years, Hume has served as executive director – first for what was formerly called North Rocky View Community Resource Centre (NRVCRC), and then later with Community Links, after NRVCRC merged with Airdrie Family Services Society to create a new local resource hub for the region’s most vulnerable populations.
Hume, whose background is in early child development and youth care, said what inspired her to get involved in lending a helping hand with the region’s most pressing social problems was her own challenging childhood.
“It’s important to support one another, and for myself too – just having a history of family violence. That was something that interested me in ensuring that other people who are affected by family violence get the supports they need in a timely manner,” she told the Airdrie City View in a recent interview. “All my life, I have been involved in helping children and families, and really wanting to make a difference that way.”
Hume said some men do choose to dedicate their lives to working in social work, family care and mental health. However, like in other jurisdictions, it tends to be women who have the strongest passion for it locally.
“For most women, it is a helping profession, and it’s the maternal force that probably helps us move into that kind of field,” Hume said. “I think for women, it helps us come forward as leaders. If we can help make a change for anybody, it increases our own leadership (potential).
“I love it, and we have so many different ages of staff that come in. Some are as young as my own children, and so it is an opportunity to mentor. And I find if we have a strong base of individuals who can support here, it only makes the leaders stronger.”
Hume said one of the things that has helped her to keep her chin up over the years to face the problems that come through Community Links’ office doors on a daily basis is the passion and commitment of every team member working at the local social services agency in Airdrie, Beiseker, Crossfield, Irricana and north Rocky View County.
“Even though there are a lot of hard things that come though the door, there are lots of rewards,” she said. “So you will see the journey people go through, and the progress they make to reach their goals. It has always been so exciting for me to see people reach their goals, and be part of that journey for them.”
Over 7,000 people, mostly women with young families, come to Community Links every year to seek out extra resources to help to make ends meet or receive referrals to cope with challenging life situations.
Hume said the need for Community Links’ services has only grown in recent years.
“We are definitely seeing more complexity,” she confirmed. “The last few years, COVID has been a factor, but before COVID we were also seeing more complexity of the presenting issues, and a lot more presenting issues. It is about family violence. It is about the financial insecurity. It is about blended families, and trying to ensure families are knowing how to communicate with one another.”
Hume is proud to serve the community, and is honoured to be entrusted with helping direct Community Links’ local resources to wherever they are needed most.
“When people are stressed, or in need of help, that’s when they are coming to Community Links,” she said. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to share our story. I think we do great work here, and we have a long journey yet to continue to provide services and programs. We have a great team here, and I am very proud of everybody.”
