Community Engagement Officer

Straight Shooter Mainland BC MFRC Community Engagement Officer Anjila Clark Seeks Community Through Connection

In fact, being a “connector” is the thing that Anjila (“Anjie”) loves best about her work with the Mainland BC MFRC. As Community Engagement Officer—a role she’s had now for almost five years—it’s Anjie’s job to connect those in the wider Mainland BC military community to both the services and resources provided by the Mainland BC MFRC and those offered by local organizations.

Whether that’s informing someone new to the military lifestyle about the MFRC’s existence, partnering with a community organization, or receiving donations from community stakeholders, Anjie offers a hands-on, authentic approach to break down the stigma attached to asking for help.

“We need to be in those communities,” states Anjie. “We need to be talking about those communities. We need to be sharing things about those communities.”

In support of the ever-changing demographic needs of BC military families, it’s Anjie’s role to know and understand the communities in which these military families reside. Additionally, she identifies and creates partnerships and alliances with community services and business to raise awareness of both military families and the Mainland BC MFRC.

As part of that mandate to connect with communities, Anjie notes that over the past four years, she, along with other staff at Mainland BC MFRC, have worked hard to decentralize their services—taking what they offer beyond being “Vancouver-centric” and getting to know the services available in all the communities that make up Mainland BC. 

The Importance of Connection

Anjie knows first-hand the challenges that come with being a part of a military family. Her husband, John, is a retired navy officer, having served in both the British Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces. Anjie and John, who together raised two children, faced multiple deployments at a time when communication was limited and the support systems in place now to assist families of deployed members did not exist. 

She knows how isolating this lifestyle can be for the families, and she uses that awareness and empathy every single day in her approach to engaging people.

“I know what it’s like. It’s not easy. It’s not easy when they're home, it’s not easy when they’re away. It’s not easy juggling a family…none of this is easy. So, if I can make things slightly easier, whether that’s linking them to a needed resource or simply asking ‘how are you doing?’, that’s what I’m going to do.”

For Anjie, connection also builds resiliency, which links directly to the mandate of all MFRCs across Canada. 

“MFRCS are here to support families, sadly, in times of war, and in times of peace, we’re building those resilient families so when there is trouble, they know where to go to find help. We might not be able to change the situation, but what we can do is be there.”

“A Darn Good Shot.”

Anjie has also embraced this connection mentality outside of her professional life.

She shares a story about herself and her husband trying various activities to strengthen their connection. They tried golf and other sports, as well as various other things, but nothing seemed to click. The thing they finally found that they both loved? Archery. Turns out, Anjie is a “darn good shot,” and an activity that was tried as a spur-of-the-moment thing has now evolved into a passion she shares with her husband. Whenever they wish to connect, they’ll say to each other “I’ll meet you by the archery shed.” 

It’s this willingness to try various ways to connect with others that also makes Anjie a “darn good” Community Engagement Officer.

Through her work, Anjie gets to know the families quite well—a position she takes seriously. Her “ask anything” and open approach works to connect families with the services they need at any given moment. 

“We’re Your Family.”

Anjie’s position at the Mainland BC MFRC allows her to interact with the families of CAF members and Veterans, the members and Veterans themselves, and the wider community. With each interaction, she reiterates a message of support and accessibility. 

“For members who don’t see themselves as having a family—maybe they don’t have a partner or children, maybe their parents live in another province or country—it’s so important that they know we are there for them, too. The MFRC is their family.”

Like many of the staff at the Mainland BC MFRC, no day is the same for Anjie. She could be refining the details of a community partnership one hour, sharing information to a CAF family member the next, and accepting a corporate or private donation the next. Juggling many tasks and switching between perspectives might be challenging for some, but Anjie accepts it as part of the hectic pace that comes from being associated with the Canadian Armed Forces.

“I have such respect for reservists because they do this by choice. Reservist families are so strong, and its this resiliency that motivates me everyday to do what I can do to alleviate some of their stresses."

At the end of the day, as long as she’s connecting people, for Anjie, that’s a bulls-eye.