Passing the torch

Times Reporter

 

This past September Debbie Bodner stepped away from her role as program coordinator for the Strathmore Regional Victim Service Society. Lesley Hering, who had been Bodners assistant coordinator, is the new coordinator.  

Bodner began as an advocate in 2002, and in 2005 she took over as coordinator.  

“I loved it, it was great. It can be demanding and somewhat stressful sometimes, you have a lot of people that you are trying to please,” said Bodner.

“The coordinator is responsible for making sure that that unit is a 24/7 operation. Anything that the advocates don’t pick up, the volunteers, then it’s up to the coordinator to pick up and not only that, but you’re on call all the time. 

“If something goes on major, if it’s a normal situation that advocates can handle then they’ll handle it but if it’s something a little different…you could get a phone call at two in the morning.”

Having someone who knew the job was a goal of Bodner’s before she passed on the reins. She said coordinators before her would leave and when someone new came in they didn’t know what they were doing, and then they too would leave. There was no training period.

“That was one of my main goals was to have somebody that knew everything and that could step in if you walked out and got hit by a bus, there’s somebody there to step in and take over and you weren’t starting from scratch again,” said Bodner.

“The (RCMP) members knew them and it would just be a seamless change and I think that’s exactly what happened. Lesley will be great, no question, and Tammy (Cooper) is the assistant coordinator there and she’ll be great too. I felt like I left it in good hands.”

Though right now Bodner is taking time for herself and her family, it doesn’t mean we’ll never see her at the annual golf tournament again.

“As a volunteer certainly maybe sometime but I’m going to take some time off and I want to try and get healthy, my health was a bit of an issue. I want to take some time and make sure I get myself back on course, where I should be and just hang out with my kids and my granddaughter and my husband,” said Bodner.

“I loved it, I did and I think Victim Services is such a worthwhile organization and it has always been. People are starting to know who we are, who Victim Services is, but for so long it has been like this big secret and it’s never supposed to be.”

Bodner feels like she accomplished everything she wanted to do as the coordinator, but said in the last six months to a year as the coordinator she didn’t feel like she was doing her best. Though it bothered her, she just physically wasn’t able to do better and knew that it was time to leave. 

Since retiring from Victim Services, Bodner knows she made the right choice when she wakes up and doesn’t have to rush off anywhere. She said she is also starting to feel better health wise. 

It may have been the right choice for her, but she still misses some of the RCMP members, advocates and other people with whom she worked with on a day-to-day basis. 

“The Staff Sgt in Strathmore (Larry Marzinzik), he’s fabulous, he’s just one of the nicest men. I felt privileged to have him as my Staff Sgt and Kevin (Reilly) well, Kevin was just great, again couldn’t be more supportive. Anything that they could do for us they did, and our liaison officers in Gleichen and Chestermere as well,” said Bodner.

“I was blessed as far as my bosses and stuff went, no complaints at all. There’s a part of me that felt bad to leave but I knew it was time. Lots of good people and lots of victims that I’ll never forget.”

Bodner feels that everything you do and everything you’re a part of with the victims helps you grow as a person. She would see people who have to go through some horrific thing but they are still standing at the end, and she said you cant help but be empowered by the strength of people.