Our Stories


Interview with Ann Lowe

July 9, 2024

by: Stacia Franz

Hold up! Another profile? Well, this isn’t just a profile, but one that
highlights a person very involved with St.Amant who wears different hats. She
is a parent of a person supported by St.Amant, a board member and a volunteer:
she’s an entire haberdashery. I had the pleasure of getting to know Ann Lowe,
Vice Chair of the St.Amant Board of Directors this month.

 

SF: Well, this is now the second time you’ve been ‘voluntold’, so thank you
again for taking time to chat with me.

AL: I would drop everything for
St.Amant! I’m here whenever anyone needs me!

 

SF: Well thank you! So, first
questions: name, time with St.Amant and your position.

AL: My name is Ann Lowe and my
daughter Rowan is supported by St.Amant. We became connected with St.Amant when
Rowan was 19 turning 20 years old, We are coming up on a decade with St.Amant.
Wow! I also serve as Vice Chair of the St.Amant Board of Directors, but first,
I’m a mom! 

 

SF: How did you hear about
St.Amant?

I didn’t actually…  I didn’t
know what I needed for Rowan and how to go about things. I had a health scare a
decade ago and thought, ok, forward planning is needed.  I heard scary
stories about other parents who had passed away and they didn’t have care for
their children. I had to educate myself and find out what  would be the
best fit for Rowan.

A social worker helped me
navigate the system and really helped us formulate what we were looking for.
Does she need public transportation? What areas of the city would she live in?
Who would live with her? There were many questions I didn’t think to ask. When
I spoke with a person at St.Amant, I was asked,”why not meet in a St.Amant
CRP home so you can see it and feel comfortable?” I hadn’t been invited in
that way before and it felt real and personal. 

With St.Amant, we saw the future:
it was different and it was a possibility for a real life for Rowan. We met in
the home she now lives in and it’s amazing. We had asked them questions, but
they also asked so many questions about Rowan, they really wanted to know her
as a human being. They really wanted it to be a good fit. 

St. Amant really cared about who
was coming into their world. It was thoughtful and kind and I really liked the
home. They called it a ‘community residence’. I knew this  was an
organization that fit my family. I knew that I wanted someone to be protective
of her in the way we are. 

 

SF: That’s amazing. Sorry, I’ve
been silently just listening and taking in everything you say. It’s hard not to
get emotional along with you.

AL: I get it. It’s that emotional
connection, that’s why we all love St.Amant!

 

SF: Absolutely, so how did you
get involved with the board and what’s it like to be on the board? 

I gave a thank you speech, on
behalf of families supported by St.Amant, at a donor appreciation luncheon. The
chairperson at the time approached me and asked if I’d consider serving on the
Board.  Before I knew it, I was on the Board and chairing the Mission and
Quality Committee of the Board. I have learned so much! The Board provides
oversight to the organization for the strategic plan, finances, and operations
and this allows me to really see the organization from a larger perspective.
This opportunity gives me a renewed appreciation of the number of services St.
Amant provides and how dedicated staff are, regardless of their role or the
program they work in. 

When I’m talking to Rowan’s staff
I’m just the mom, making sure I advocate for what she needs. And although the
Board work is quite separate, I am able to bring a unique perspective as a
parent.

 

SF: Tell me a bit about yourself,
you mentioned you’re retired now, what was your previous career?

AL: I worked in education
for 30 years, specializing as a resource teacher and guidance counsellor. I was
fortunate enough to work with all age groups from nursery to adults. 

 

SF: Ah, yes I can tell from your
personality that you’d be amazing at that. What do you do to relax?

AL:  I’m an obsessive
knitter! I love to golf and am trying to learn pickleball. My husband and I
like to travel and also spend a lot of time at our cottage. Our house is close
to my step son and his family and I have a two and a half year old grandson.
When he says says “jump”, we do! It’s hilarious. He’s got us jumping!

 

SF: Where’s your cottage?

AL: In Grand Marais. We have a
winterized place so it’s beautiful in the winter with all the cross-country
trails. 

 

SF: What would you like to say to
all St.Amant staff?

AL: The staff are the heart of
the organization. The direct support workers I’m connected to: I bow down to
them every single day! They are my daughter’s family, teachers, doctors,
nurses, they are everything to her. It’s amazing how they just keep showing up
every day. People say that working for St.Amant is a calling and they aren’t
wrong. I see it, they are dedicated, caring people. 

I’m so incredibly grateful for
the staff. I can’t begin to thank everyone enough. It’s the staff that keep the
place going. 

They are ensuring that my
daughter is safe, happy and healthy. I’m so grateful for that. Before we came
to St.Amant, I was just consumed with worrying about what Rowan’s life would be
like. Now that we’ve settled into St.Amant, I know she’s well cared for and has
a great life. I get to enjoy her as a human being.  To just love her and
be with her. I am no longer consumed with the worry and this allows her to be
more independent. I can just watch her be Rowan. 

 

SF: Is there anything you want to
end on?

AL: I just want to end with thank
you. I don’t want to forget to say it and say it again and again. I want to say
thank you in the small ways and in the big ways. So, in a very big way, thank
you, thank you, thank you. 

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