Community Action is happy to announce the recipient of our 2023 January Staff Spotlight, Community Advocate for HeadStart, Courtney Reel. As Community Advocate, Courtney continuously works to empower individuals in our community by ensuring people's concerns are heard and their needs are addressed. With a profound commitment to making our community a better place, Courtney has demonstrated her dedication time and time again.
Hannah Nauen, her nominator, says, “Courtney Reel has taken on the day to day efforts of fostering and supporting a difficult new partnership with so much energy, enthusiasm, and creativity. She truly cares about the families that we serve and works hard every day to build relationships with our partners to make sure that we are centering families and providing the best service possible even as we struggle internally to figure out the rules and procedures of this new partnership. Courtney has been extremely flexible and responsive, taking on duties that go above and beyond her job role with a smile on her face. She is always willing to brainstorm new ideas and doesn't get discouraged by roadblocks or setbacks.”
It is clear Courtney seeks innovative approaches to create a brighter future for her community. Courtney’s unwavering commitment to our values is nothing short of inspiring. Recently we caught up with Courtney to learn more about her and how she views her role at CAPRW.
What is your favorite part about working at CAPRW?
My favorite part about working at CAPRW is the family services team. The family advocates and supervisors are so amazing and I am extremely grateful to work with them. They are all kind and caring and absolutely the best at what they do!
Do you have a favorite memory from your time working at CAPRW?
I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite member but I do have several great memories about different events such as the Free Bikes 4 Kids give away in 2021 as well as the Male Involvement event in 2022. So many families came to both of those events and it was a lot of fun working with them as well as the rest of the family services team to make the days the best possible for the families.
How did you discover your passion for working with the community?
I started working for Head Start in 2016 and loved getting to know the families and really becoming a part of their lives. When I moved to Minnesota and started working for CAPRW I found I was able to expand on that experience through home visiting. At the end of the school year it's so sad to see our families leave the program for kindergarten or other opportunities but I feel thankful to have gotten to spend that time with them.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time outside of work?
Outside of work I love spending time with my husband, daughter, and dog. I also love watching sports such as hockey.
