Being there for others

“Your heart grows,” says Jennifer Devlin about how she feels after supporting a cause that is close to her heart. “You offer a helping hand, and you just feel better, and then you reflect all of that back out into the world.”

It’s how she felt after making a donation to the Patient Assistance Fund for Mental Health Care following the 2024 Breakfast of Champions event.

“The cause (mental health care) is so important, and so near and dear to my heart,” she says. “I feel all of us know or have known someone who is experiencing a mental illness, and this fund will help those who need it the most.”

The Patient Assistance Fund, which was launched at Breakfast of Champions, will help to purchase items that might not otherwise be available to people. The items express dignity, respect and empathy for the whole person and include things like personal care kits, grocery gift cards, as well as clothing and cold-weather accessories.

“I got so excited and enthusiastic when I heard about the fund,” she said. “What they are doing at St. Joseph’s is phenomenal, and I wanted to support the patients and families there.”

A former St. Joseph’s staff member, Jennifer still feels a close connection to the organization and its core values and has been regularly attending the Breakfast of Champions for years.

“Every year it inspires me and serves as a beacon of hope,” she says.

A busy mom of two and a manager of administration and finance at Western University, Jennifer’s commitment to the community goes far beyond St. Joseph’s. Through the years, she’s volunteered at her sons’ schools, canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and volunteered at Ronald McDonald House. She also has supported her church and now serves on the hospitality and core leadership teams. It’s a vibrant parish, that she says is fun to be a part of.

Nearly 20 years ago, the community advocate started volunteering with St. John’s hospitality dinners. Encouraged by Dr. Fraser Fellows to start helping out, she has continued on a regular basis and now is a team lead.

For Jennifer, it’s about being there for people, when they need it most.

That’s what she does for 519Pursuit, which Jennifer is very passionate about. She’s been actively supporting their sock drive for several years and introduced it to various department across the medical school and faculties across Western. She’s equally passionate about the organization’s Happy Days initiative. Once a month, Jennifer joins a small team and visits some of the homeless encampments in the community to help – with cleaning, meals, and sometimes lending an ear where it is wanted.

“Through everything I do, I have found that I have the power to build up others – whether it’s through words, deeds or donations to things like the Patient Assistance Fund,” says Jennifer. “You can actually see what happens after giving. You can see the joy that comes to them. Before getting involved in the community, I felt almost like I was hording the joy- but now I can help others and see how being there can really transform a life.”