Employee Spotlight: Nicole Janvier
Meet Nicole Janvier, 211 contact supervisor & Allegheny County liaison on our PA Southwest 211 team! When not at work, you’ll likely find Nicole organizing the house, spending time at her local church and visiting her two kids in college. Learn more about Nicole.
What’s your role at United Way and what’s your favorite part of the job?
I hold two complementary roles at United Way. I’m the 211 contact supervisor and the DHS/Allegheny County liaison. As contact supervisor, I support our resource navigators by answering questions, conducting call evaluations, managing special projects and collaborating closely with our training manager to ensure quality service.
As the DHS/Allegheny County liaison, I work directly with county leadership to ensure that 211 continues to be a good pathway for Allegheny county residents to learn about services and resources to meet basic needs. Our 211 database coordinators also work closely with DHS and do the primary research and updating of the database. I see my role as a bridge between DHS and 211, helping to ensure that service providers and residents alike have access to the most accurate, up-to-date information available.
My favorite part of the job is knowing that every aspect of our work, whether it’s supporting our team or updating a resource, ultimately helps connect people to the help they need when they need it most.
What’s a moment or accomplishment you’re most proud of?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it pride, but I feel incredibly thankful. My career path has taken me through several fields — corporate, education and social work — and each step taught me something valuable. I’ve always had a heart for helping others, even when my work didn’t directly align with that goal.
What I’m most grateful for is how everything has come together in my role at 211. It’s the perfect blend of my experiences, drawing on my time in corporate settings, my skills in communication and case management and my passion for supporting people in need. It took a lot of twists and turns to get here, but I wouldn’t change the journey. It led me exactly where I’m meant to be.
What’s one thing your coworkers may not know about you?
I’ve moved more than 14 times before the age of 23! Most people assume my family was military, but we weren’t. Life just had a way of keeping things moving. The upside? I can pack a car like nobody’s business!
When you’re not at work, where can we find you?
You can usually find me puttering around the house: organizing, spending time with my family or catching up with friends over dinner. My husband and I recently launched our two kids off to college, so we love traveling to visit them whenever we can. I’m also actively involved in my local church.
What’s an item you would bring with you to a deserted island?
The practical side of me says I’d bring emergency flares. But as someone who loves words, I’d also want to bring an Oxford Dictionary. I’d be tempted to pack a few other books too, but if I could only bring one, that would be it!