Staff Spotlight: Meet Elizabeth

Elizabeth Hoene, Administrative Specialist

What do you do in your job at the WCA?
I provide administrative support at the front desk. As people call or come in, whether to seek information, come to an appointment with a case manager or counselor, or bring in a donation we are the first point of contact. I also process the daily monetary transactions, provide the controller with a daily report and process all the gift in kind donations.

How long have you been with the WCA?
Since January of 2012.

Where did you work prior to joining the WCA team?
I have worked in various industries, both for profit and non-profit and vastly prefer non-profit. One thing I value so much is the integrity and accountability that is such a necessary part of any non-profit culture. It is stronger here than anywhere else I have worked.

What do you find most rewarding about your work at the WCA?
Every day someone touches my heart. It may be a child making eye contact and smiling at me for the first time after coming for several weeks, or a woman who at first is hesitant to speak and then begins opening up and initiating a dialogue. You never know who is going to walk in the door. We have kids who bring us their piggy banks to make a donation, or the proceeds from a lemonade stand, or gifts or money which they have gotten for their birthday in lieu of gifts for themselves. It renews hope. One woman made a new year’s resolution to bring us a gift card every month which directly impacts at least 12 women and their kids per year. A simple thing creates a small ripple of good.

How have you changed or grown as a person through your work here?
My sense of what I need in life has changed dramatically. Every day I realize how fortunate I am. It is humbling and empowering and has expanded my sense of gratitude exponentially. It has purged me of any “poor me” stories I may have had previously. The power of the human spirit and of grace in action are present everywhere, working here is a constant reminder of that.

Is there a memorable moment or story that you’d like to share that you have experienced at the WCA?
A young woman came into the shelter with her mother. She was very difficult to communicate with and didn’t want anything to do with us. She would hide behind the book shelf and pull her hood over her head. Over the weeks she began to open up. Her whole posture and presence changed. Now when I see her she has the most open and beautiful smile, is always laughing, and is involved in school activities and thriving in her life. We want to create a world where services like ours aren’t needed, where healthy relationships are the norm. With each life that we touch for the better the cycle of violence can be stopped. To see a whole family make this journey together is such a gift.