I’m Dan Kershaw, Executive Director of Furniture Bank. For the last six years I have been charting a course for the organization and our Board of Directors to end furniture poverty across Canada. To do that we’ve been investing expanding our impact in support of that national vision.
We began planning for COVID-19 in late January. The work we had been doing in 2018 and 2019 was to create a model that could support furniture bank programs at a distance. When we paused operations in March we moved quickly to a ‘Virtual First’ approach and retooled our old ways to something that could be sustained for 2020 and beyond if necessary.
COVID-19 has been a challenge for me as one of those with ‘pre-existing’ conditions I needed to adapt how I operated as a successful Executive Director knowing I would likely remain ‘virtual’ for a very long time. New tools, habits, and communications we needed, and continue to be invented to ensure we not only survive this crisis but continue the journey to support a national network of furniture banks.
With no commute from Barrie – my mornings remain early and days long – as there are many unplanned projects we are undertaking and coordinating with the team and our business and government partners.
Sadly my love of vacationing in Florida, and cruising has been put on hold – so I have to discover alternative ways for vacationing in the months to come.
