In Focus | Gaelene Askeland of the The John Howard Society of the Central & South Okanagan

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Gaelene Askeland

What do you always find yourself saying?
Holy Moly!

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Malala Yousafzi and her family, because of her amazing strength of character and my hope that she will be one of the leaders of our world’s future. Having spent a little time in that part of the world, it is absolutely amazing to me that she and her whole family stood together in opposition to the Taliban. Supporting education for women and girls in the developing world is one of the most important things we need to do from here in the West.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
You know, I’d rather win a team award for something like Best Non-profit Agency in the Okanagan, or something like that. Where I work, nothing happens without a full team effort and I would not want to be recognized without them.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Nellie McClung, because she was a fierce Canadian woman with who was pivotal in bringing so many of the rights that women, children and the disadvantaged have now into law. She did it with smarts, humour and a tenacity that I can’t even imagine.

Who inspires you?
Many of the people our agency works with are inspirational…they strive daily to overcome hurdles and obstacles that would make most of us just give up in abject despair.

What are three things on your bucket list?
To stay in a cave hotel in Turkey; go on a long, slow tour of all of the Maritime provinces (and have lobster in each one!); paddleboarding with my dog on the front of the board.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
I wouldn’t want a yacht, ever.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
My 75th birthday

What are you passionate about?
Helping people to learn to understand even a little bit about the ‘other’, whoever that may be for them.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
Wow, just one!? My sister and I went to Iceland together a number of years ago, just as a short getaway. It was fantastic to see where our family came from and the day that we went to the huge geothermal spa where we sat in naturally heated water and white volcanic mud drinking a lovely Icelandic beer is right up there at the top of my favourite days.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Getting my dog to sit and stay for more than 30 seconds…although I suppose that was more her accomplishment than mine.. J

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Oooh! It would be a toss-up between the Fixx and the Salted Brick. Both are run by talented, passionate people who love food.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
I love going to the farmer’s market, mostly because I can get fresh fruit and vegetables here that I could never get locally produced all the years I lived in Winnipeg and other parts of Canada.

What is the name of your business/organization?
The John Howard Society of the Central & South Okanagan

What does your business/organization do?
We provide a variety of housing and programming supports for people who have been involved in the justice system and/or live with mental health issues or addictions.

Where can people find you or your business online?
John Howard Society of the Central and South Okanangan

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Search for Gaelene Askeland

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Our café One Cup at a Time has a facebook page

What is your Twitter account?
I am nowhere near interesting enough to have a Twitter account!

What is your mission?
The agency’s mission is to create space for effective, just and humane responses to the causes and consequences of crime

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
Having functional mental health/FASD courts operating throughout BC so that people living with these challenges and coming in conflict with the law receive appropriate treatments and supports. A very high percentage of the people in our prisons live with mental health issues and/or cognitive disabilities that cannot be fixed with a jail sentence. They would be much less likely to commit crimes if they were treated rather than simply incarcerated.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
I hope that our agency will be a strong, growing, active presence in the Okanagan; that we are known for doing great work with our clients/residents and that we are often out in the community educating about some of the challenges they face.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
There are lots of wonderful organizations that do great work with people who have come in conflict with the law. The John Howard Society has 8 different chapters in BC and many more across Canada. Particularly here in BC our colleagues in the other communities are all doing innovative, creative things in their own environments to increase community safety.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Empathy, respect, accountability

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Well, I’ve been here for just about 8 weeks, and I can honestly say that our staff and volunteers are some of the best anywhere, and I’m proud to work with them.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
We contribute to community safety through the housing we have for people with live with mental health and addictions issues and we help lots of people with multiple barriers to employment find jobs.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Hmmm….it would probably be people who have run very successful social enterprises and who would be interested in investing with us in a franchise of some sort that we could train our program participants in….and make some money while we’re at it!

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
That there would be a bypass road for through traffic that would alleviate the bridge/Hwy 97 congestion.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
That we still have lots of agricultural activity and land here…and lots of green space in the city. It is fabulous.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Shelley Gilmore, the new ED at the United Way of the Central and South Okanagan

Some general comments I would like to share are:
Thank you for including me in the In Focus. We live in a city that is full of fascinating people and you do a great job of showcasing so many of them!

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!