Paul Vallée has been involved with Réseau Compassion Network (RCN) in one way or another for 20 years. As he prepares to say goodbye to his board director role after nearly a decade, he’s proud of all that the board has accomplished, and not ready to stop paying attention to the work happening in health and social services.
“I first started as a board member at Centre Flavie, before joining the RCN board,” he shares. “I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Flavie and for those they serve. You don’t want Centre Flavie to have to exist, but the work they do there is so immediate and important to so many. There’s no bureaucracy, they just redistribute wealth across the city. They really do keep the tradition and the legacy of the Sisters going.”
Vallée, as with many staff and volunteers across the network, often thinks about the women religious who founded the Réseau Compassion Network organisations. “The Sisters always went where the needs were greatest,” he continues. “And nowadays, that’s no longer founding a hospital or offering healthcare, although we are of course still in those areas. But we’re pivoting towards opportunities to help people experiencing complex poverty. Their needs are different, and our newest strategic plan is helping to guide us.”
He admits that he’s seen quite an evolution at Réseau Compassion Network in his nine years as a member of the board, but it’s been positive change. “When I first started, we were almost more like a holding company,” he explains. “At our AGMs, we looked at organisation’s financials. Now, we’re running like a true social impact organisation. We’re focusing on the right things, the right people and having the right conversations.”
Those conversations are interesting and challenging, in the sense that there are not a lot of easy ways to reduce the impacts of complex poverty on people. “I see the ways that our network members are trying to make a real difference,” he continues. “Les suites Marion is a great example. It’s an inspiring project. We took our vision and our values and implemented them in a very real way. We created mixed-income housing with wrap-around supports. We know that’s the way forward, and I’m so proud to see we’ve been a part of it and that we’re continuing to move in this direction.”
He’s also proud of the creative thinking that exists in the network. “Another great project was the new monastery for the Sisters of St. Benedict’s,” Vallée says. “It’s a new home for the Sisters, but at some point, the building will have a new use and a new purpose, to serve the community. It could be a hospice or something of the like and continue to be a space of care and compassion.”
For those considering joining a board, Vallée has a few thoughts to share. “First of all, you have to be attracted to the mission and the work that we do, because that’s where the satisfaction comes from,” he explains. “Knowing that our work is impacting so many is what matters. And there is so much education and so many resources available for board members. You will learn a lot, for sure.”
Most of all, Vallée is glad to have quietly played his part in a better community for all, and will keep an eye out for future opportunities. “Every time I drive by Les suites Marion, I’ll smile,” he says. “I can’t wait to see what else Réseau Compassion Network will do.”