Celina Symmonds Share the Warmth
Celina Symmonds has made a career out of giving back to her community. And this 37-year-old shows no signs of slowing down.
Celina was recently appointed as the executive director of the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus fund, after working for McMan Youth Services, Medicine Hat Community Housing and with Theo Fleury and his Fleury 14 Enterprises.
“I am really looking forward to working with an organization that is purely about giving back and working towards a greater goal,” says Celina of the Santa Claus Fund.
And that’s something she knows a thing or two about.
Celina and her husband, Rob – a fellow Top 40 under 40 – are the parents of four kids. After getting married in 2002, the two decided they wanted to give something back and so they became foster parents. They were expecting one child to join their family – but instead got a call about three siblings in need of foster care – aged 3 years through 8 years at the time.
“We knew we couldn’t split them up and we said to each other: ‘Well it’s only for three months,’ so we just jumped right in,” says Celina.
And those three months quickly turned into a lifetime.
Share the Joy
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Celina and Rob adopted their children and another child – and now have an active family of four kids – ages 18, 16, 14 and 8 years. “We just fell in love with them,” says this 2010 recipient of a Civic Award for Community Inclusion. “And they know that no matter what they do, they are going to be loved.”
Celina is thrilled her new role at the Santa Claus Fund allows her some flexibility so she can drive her kids to school and to all of their activities – which currently includes a lot of football.
“Balancing family and work is so important,” she says.
Not one to spend too much time chatting about herself, Celina is quick to talk about what she loves about living in Medicine Hat. “This city has the most giving population I’ve ever worked in,” says Celina. “It seems somebody is always willing to step up.”
TOP 40 UNDER FORTY | 15 Share the Season
Th e Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund would like to welcome their new Executive Director
Celina Symmonds and congratulate her on being selected as one of Medicine Hat’s
Top 40 Under 40.
41073725•05/25/12
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