The People Behind Phelps
There is a lot we can count at Phelps Helps.
We can count tutoring hours, meals served, young people through the doors and programs delivered.
We can measure participation, progress and outcomes.
Those numbers matter.
But after nearly 15 years, we have become convinced that some of the most important things we build are much harder to count.
Trust.
Belonging.
Confidence.
The feeling of being known.
And those things are built by people.
The people who make it happen
In this blog, we have the pleasure of introducing some of the people behind Phelps. They aren't usually the ones seeking attention. More often, they are quietly making sure a student gets what they need, a program runs well, a family feels welcome or the next opportunity is possible. We get to see that work up close, and are enormously proud of the team we have built.
Different roles, one shared purpose
Our team reflects this community in ways that matter.
We are parents and educators, lifelong community members and newer arrivals.
Some of us first knew Phelps as participants. We bring different educational and professional backgrounds, personalities and perspectives to the table.
Genevieve Lalande holds much of our programming together, supporting Josiane Samson and Daniele Del Torto in their work with younger students, Jean-Philippe Roy with our high school students and Noah Bishop, who creates spaces where young people can connect and belong. Kristy Pyle builds bridges into the wider community.
Each of our coordinators brings care, judgment and a deep understanding of the young people they serve. Their leadership is central to making Phelps a place where programs become meaningful relationships.
Alongside them, Heather Stratton, Makayla Chamberlain and Elizabeth Keeler are trusted, familiar faces to young people and families. They understand something fundamental about Phelps: sometimes the conversation before tutoring or the check-in at the door matters as much as what was planned.
The work you don't always see
And there is another layer of work that is even easier to miss.
Jocelyne Arnold makes sure there is something warm to eat and a space that feels cared for. Tina Priggas provides the careful financial oversight that keeps us accountable, while our new Administrative Coordinator, Chanel Messier, is strengthening the systems that keep a busy organization moving. Sophie Nagle builds relationships, finds resources and helps the story of this small organization in Stanstead travel far beyond our community.
And in her role as Executive Director, Katie Lowry takes on the job of connecting these pieces—to listen to what our team is seeing, protect what makes Phelps special and help secure what they need to keep doing it.
What makes Phelps special
But none of us does just one thing.
We carry boxes, wash dishes, flip burgers, troubleshoot, advocate, celebrate and step into the gaps.
We notice when someone hasn't shown up.
We ask why.
There is expertise in that, but there is humility, too. No job is too small when it contributes to something bigger.
Perhaps that is what we are proudest to introduce: not simply a group of talented professionals, but a team that genuinely believes the work belongs to all of us.
Phelps has programs, funding and now a beautiful home. But those things don't create belonging on their own.
People do.
These are the people who quietly make Phelps exceptional every day.
About Phelps Helps
Phelps Helps is a community-led non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, teens and young adults in Stanstead and the surrounding area. Through free educational, career and youth development programs, Phelps works alongside young people, families, schools, volunteers and community partners to create opportunities and remove barriers.
To learn more, volunteer or get involved, contact info@phelpshelps.ca, visit www.phelpshelps.ca or call 819-704-0799.
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