Staff Spotlight: Kayla Koffer
On a typical day in the "office," Community Resource Navigator Kayla Koffer may be found touring apartments, shopping, filling out assistance applications, or even attending job interviews. But she's not slacking off - far from it! Because she's not doing any of these things for herself; she is doing them with, for, and alongside the dozens of local families she works with. For families who are struggling with their basic needs, Kayla can be a ray of sunshine. After meeting with a family to determine what struggles they are currently facing, she helps them to identify what they need most and them helps them to accomplish those things. This is certainly not an easy task to accomplish, as resources are limited and it can be very challenging to find the right kinds of services that can help families reach their goals. But even though she carries the highest caseload of anyone on our team by far, she treats each of her clients with warmth and professionalism and always has a smile on her face.
We are so fortunate to have someone like Kayla as part of our program. Through her dedicated work with families, she is directly and indirectly preventing them from ever encountering the child welfare system, keeping them together, and helping them to thrive. If you ever run into Kayla out and about, you may want to buy her a coffee - she could certainly use the energy to keep up with her busy schedule!
Get to know Kayla:
What is your role at The Salvation Army and what does it entail?
I am the Community Resource Navigator and I work with families who need help with stability; whether that means income, employment, housing, health insurance, etc. I help connect them to resources within the community that are available in hopes of improving their current situation that is causing them stress.
What drew you to a career in social work?
I always wanted to help people. I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do with my degree, but when I saw the opportunity for a new program to work with families in need, I almost felt drawn and that it was meant to be.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the child welfare system, what would it be?
That there would be no shortcomings of loving foster care homes available for every child that needs it.
What is one piece of advice you have for people considering becoming foster/adoptive parents?
TBRI Training/being mindful and patient to those with trauma. It is extremely important to be trauma informed when dealing with foster children and even birth parents.
What are you doing for self-care these days?
- Going to the gym
- Laying with my kids (my two fur babies)
- Spending time with the ones I love
- Binge watching shows
And just for fun...what are your favorite:
- Animal - Cat!
- Color - Pink
- Food - So hard, depends on my mood! I love a good sandwich or pasta.
- Ice Cream Flavor - Mint Chocolate Chip
- Sport - Don't have one!
- Vacation Destination - Italy would be amazing to visit.
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