From iguanas to puppies: Why Katy loves working at HPHH
Katy was born and bred in England with a zoo of animals - probably not the animals you would imagine. Her quirky pets included birds, pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, lizards and even snakes! Possibly the most bizarre animal she had was an iguana. Coincidentally, her husband also had an iguana as a child.
Moving away from her hometown, she attended university in Yorkshire, where she met her husband. They moved to Australia 10 years ago and were married nearly seven years ago. They have a beautiful, cheeky five-year-old daughter together. They also have Boston Terriers – her favourite animal – who give her lots of love, attention, and cuddles.
Katy joined HPHH 9 months ago, which was a ‘pur-fect’ fit for her. As a Case Manager for Explore at HPHH, Katy loves all kinds of animals and is passionate about helping people find work and achieve their goals.
“It’s the most rewarding thing in the world,” Katy says.
Unable to think of just one favourite memory – because there are just too many – Katy says she comes home from work “buzzing” from seeing the outcomes of her participants.
Her favourite part about working at HPHH is being able to help the participants but also the rescue animals at RSPCA Wacol.
“I get to interact with a range of animals every day. It’s pretty awesome,” Katy says.
“There’s some excitement around seeing the joy in the participants’ faces when seeing an animal. It gets them chatting, which helps them form relationships with each other.”
If Katy could be an animal, she would be a koala so she can eat and sleep all day. In her downtime, she enjoys painting and crafts – making her own earrings – and spending time with her family.
Passing on some words of wisdom from her grandma, Katy says: “Listen to all the advice and pick and choose what you want to take from it. Do what suits you."
To learn more about our employment pathway program, Explore, please visit our website or contact our 'fur-riendly' team at 1300 077 984 or hello@hphhfoundation.org.