Fitzwater

Barbara Fitzwater was among the first group of people to become involved with Joshua’s House in 2017 after reading about it in a local newspaper. “I believed that my experience in volunteer program management and my compassion for those who are dying and homeless could be beneficial to the Board and to Joshua’s House,” she explained.

Barbara has over 40 years experience in volunteer program management and was the Area Director of Volunteer Services at Kaiser Permanente for 33 of those 40 years. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in psychology and sociology from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), a Master’s Degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco, a Certificate in Applied Gerontology from CSUS, and a Certificate in Graphic Design from the UC Davis Extension Program.

“Volunteers will be key service providers in Joshua’s House and a well-organized professional volunteer program will play a major role in Joshua’s House success,” she said. “We will need to all work together to develop a strong program to recruit, train and effectively manage the volunteers so that Joshua’s House will be a valuable community resource!”

Even though Barbara and Marlene, our founder/CEO, share the same last name, they are not directly related, but have enjoyed working together. “I feel blessed to be part of the Board,” she shared. “I know there is a lot of work to be done, but I’m up for the challenge!”