Celebrating 30 Years of Care: Kerri’s Journey with Community Care
December 10, 2025
Over three decades, Kerri Daley has witnessed the evolution of Community Care, from a small volunteer-driven organization to a comprehensive network of services supporting older adults across Kawartha Lakes. Along the way, she has helped shape programs, guide change, and touch countless lives.
This year, as Community Care celebrates its 40th anniversary, Kerri marks 30 years with the organization. Her story, woven through eras of growth, change, challenge, and innovation, reflects the heart of what Community Care has always been: a place that responds with programs that meet the need.
Coming Home to Make a Difference
Kerri grew up in Kawartha Lakes and pursued her gerontology diploma with a clear purpose, saying “I went to school to work with seniors.”
After finishing school, she coordinated a large Meals on Wheels program in North Toronto, which was a role that would prepare her for the career ahead back in her hometown.
In 1995, Kerri and her husband moved back to Lindsay. “I feel very lucky that I was able to come back to the community where I was raised to raise our children,” she reflects.
She first came to Community Care as a volunteer, helping with their first application for a Meals on Wheels delivery van. This would become the first step in a remarkable 30-year career.
Growing with CCCKL
Not long after starting as a volunteer with Community Care, Kerri accepted a contract role supporting the Connecting Seniors program, an educational workshop series for older adults navigating life changes. From there, she became the Coordinator of Services in Lindsay, working closely with volunteers, clients, and fundraising efforts.
“At that time, the organization was much smaller,” she recalls. “We had hot and frozen Meals on Wheels, volunteer transportation, one van, friendly visiting, diners clubs, home maintenance, and the early development of exercise classes. Our structure looked very different back then.”
By 1998 she had moved into a full-time coordinator role, and in 2003, during the memorable Great North American Blackout, she stepped into leadership. She remembers this time clearly, as the event she was planning for the outgoing manager had to be cancelled because there was no hydro. “I associate things with events,” she laughs. “It’s how I remember.”
Over the years, Kerri managed not only Lindsay’s services but also other communities as the organization grew and restructured. She helped establish the Stroke Survivors Support Group, coordinated cardiovascular health programs, supported volunteer transportation coordination, and played a key role in creating centralized intake. This proved to be a major shift in how Community Support Services register and support clients.
“We were a leader in that,” she notes. “Before then, volunteers were coordinating services from their dining room tables. Central intake transformed how we worked and strengthened our accountability and confidentiality.”
Today, Kerri serves as Manager of the Adult Day Program (ADP) and Home Support Services, a portfolio she took on during COVID. She reflects this being a time that demanded flexibility, creativity, and resilience, especially for the ADP. During that time, the program operated in small client cohorts, adapting quickly as the global pandemic evolved.
Three Decades of Change
Kerri has worked under all four of Community Care’s CEOs, from founder Valmay Barkey onward. Each, she says, influenced her in different ways.
“The only thing that’s constant is change,” she says thoughtfully. “What made sense 40 years ago is very different now. Our population is growing and aging, and organizationally we need to be looking at how we do things differently to continue supporting people in the right place at the right time.”
Yet the heart of Community Care remains unchanged.
“We respond with programs that meet the need,” she says. “We look at the big picture. We look at what our community needs, what gaps exist, and how we can support people. I don’t think that will ever change.”
The Impact of Community Care from Every Side
Kerri has known Community Care as a volunteer, a staff member, a leader. She has also known Community Care as a family member of clients and a user of programs.
“My family has accessed programs,” she shares. “Meals on Wheels supported us in times of need. Our hospice team was invaluable when a loved one faced a cancer diagnosis. I’m incredibly grateful those programs were there.”
Her reflections remind us why community support services matter. “What would it look like if we didn’t have these things?” she asks. “If people didn’t have meals delivered? Or transportation to doctor’s appointments? If someone had no help with personal care? How would that affect their independence?”
Programs like Community Care’s health and dental services, she notes, are perfect examples of responding to need. “Many people in our community couldn’t access dentistry. It was out of reach. Community Care worked with partners, the government and funders to provide this service,” says Kerri. She also reflects on our Community Health Centre, and how the inclusion of this service provided access to a healthcare provider for so many more people in Kawartha Lakes. “These programs opened doors for people who otherwise would have gone without.”
Despite the enormous evolution of services, staffing, technology, and community needs, one thing feels steady. “Our commitment to caring for the community,” Kerri says. “Our mission, vision, and values have stayed consistent. That’s who we are.”
A Privilege to Be Part of the Journey
As Community Care celebrates 40 years, Kerri is proud to have shared in 30 of them.
“I feel very privileged to be a part of that journey for the majority of the time. To witness the growth and the change. I’m truly lucky.”
Kerri also credits her family for supporting her work with Community Care. “They’ve helped with meals at Christmas, with fundraising, with stuffing envelopes. They’re part of the Community Care family too.”
When asked what she would say to new staff or volunteers just starting their journey with Community Care, Kerri’s answer comes easily. “The opportunities are endless to make an impact,” she says. “You’re going to make a difference in the lives of the people we support. If helping people drives you, this is the place to be.”
Meeting the Need
Kerri’s story is deeply intertwined with the story of Community Care itself. From a small, volunteer-driven organization to a robust network of health and community support services, Community Care has grown because people like Kerri have helped it grow.
As we look to the next 40 years, her words continue to guide us:
“We respond with programs that meet the need.”
It’s more than a reflection. It’s a promise, one that leaders like Kerri have been helping us keep for decades.