This article is written by Tess, a member of the 2024-25 Mayor’s Youth Council. Tess is part of the Careers and Opportunities committee, who wanted to highlight different career opportunities for youth.
If you want to have a successful, lucrative, career you must be one of the following: doctor, engineer, business person… right? This is something that many of us have heard, over and over again, from parents, or teachers, friends, or maybe that older person, the one you are not quite so sure how you are related to.
As a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council Careers and Opportunities subcommittee, I have spent the last year thinking up ways to provide opportunities for youth to learn about possible paths after highschool. At our first meeting with Mayor Gondek in the fall, she suggested that we find a way to show the youth of Calgary more unique careers this year. It had never really occurred to me to seek out different types of careers, but as I find myself looking at universities and career options, I have begun to wonder, what other careers are out there that I just don’t know about?
Though I am not quite sure exactly which path I want to take, I know that I want to find a career where I can make a difference in my community. So when I got the opportunity to interview Patricia Jones, the CEO and President of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I was beyond excited, and honestly a little nervous. The Calgary Homeless Foundation is a charitable organisation that advises the government on how to distribute funds most effectively to organisations seeking to help those in need in Calgary.
As it turns out, I had no reason to worry, Patricia Jones is an extremely kind and inspiring woman.
I started out the interview asking her about her background and how she came to be: Patricia Jones, President and CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation.
She explained to me that she grew up in small town Alberta, where the expectation was for her to marry a farmer or get a job in a bank. To which she told me: “I thought, well, I don’t want to do any one of those things. So I went to the University of Lethbridge and got a Bachelor of Social Work degree. And then went to U of C. I thought in order to make more money, I’ll be frank, I needed to get a master’s degree. So I got my master’s degree and then I worked at Catholic Family Service for 27 years. Started as a therapist and then worked my way around and through into leadership positions and then came to Calgary Homeless five years ago.”
I was extremely inspired by her drive and the hard work she put in, to break through the boundaries set by stereotypes and sexism. She had decided to go against the path laid out for her and taken the leap to pursue something she was truly passionate about.
The next thing that intrigued me about this unique and inspiring career path, was the day to day reality. What did the days of this highly educated CEO look like?
Patricia was more than happy to fill me in: “My job is very external in many ways, and I often say my time is not my own. So I’ll give you an example: Monday I was at a drop-in center touring with somebody from Lethbridge. And then we brought in a speaker from Ontario for the afternoon with all of our colleagues. And then Tuesday morning I had an internal executive leadership meeting with all, with the vice presidents here. And then I had lunch with a board member and a board prospect. Then I met with a staff member and then I had a partner meeting in the community. And then I had a compensation discussion. Yesterday, I had staff supervision. In the afternoon I was at Confluence, our Indigenous G4 Tribal Council, which is our Indigenous partner, had a resource fair there for people experiencing homelessness. And then I was doing strategic planning interviews. And then I was at a launch for the Calgary Affordable Housing Foundation. So it’s all over the map, right? Probably 80% of my job is external. And about 60% of that 80% is government relations. When somebody asks me a question, what do you do all day? Each one of those activities was about guiding the fight against homelessness. And if I’m doing something that is a part of that purpose, I shouldn’t be doing it.”
After hearing how much she accomplished in a day, I made sure to thank her for taking the time to chat with me! Though they seemed like long days, it was clear that each piece of Patricia’s days were powered by purpose and were making a true impact in the organisation and throughout Calgary. It is clear that Patricia’s laser focus and dedication to her work is what allows her to find so much success as well as a sense of fulfillment. Her passion for her work was clear as she animatedly explained to me the purpose behind her work.
Next I asked her what initiative she took the most pride in. She responded that in her five years with the Calgary Homeless Foundation, she had put in a lot of effort to create a positive work environment. This was not the answer I was expecting, but it makes so much sense with the rest of Patricia’s philosophy. She explained to me that she put in so much work to make the organisation run smoothly internally, so that they would be able to have maximum positive outward impact. Moreover, she ensured that the entire operation had a clear view of their reason for existing and their goals. She emparted her own philosophy, “ Each one of those activities was about guiding the fight against homelessness. And if I’m doing something that is a part of that purpose, I shouldn’t be doing it.”, into each and every one of the organisation’s proceedings.
Her passion for her work is a clear demonstration of the benefits of choosing a career that aligns with your strengths and goals. I hope that learning about her story has inspired you to search for careers for which you are passionate.