Milton Berle once said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” And that is exactly what Kyle Fritz does at Habitat For Humanity Halton-Mississauga as the New Business Development Coordinator. He works hard each day to build opportunities for people living in poverty.

Kyle is a man strongly invested in the legal and political world. I mean, after all, he is studying to be a double major in political science and English at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. Kyle explained that  during his time in university, he’s learning how to be an efficient leader, hoping to one day be a political one. “I’m learning how to be a leader, I’m learning how to be organized, I am learning many different facets of the nonprofit world which I think is a big part of the political world. I believe that the nonprofit sector is a key sector. I think my experiences with Habitat will serve my understanding of this part of the political world,” Kyle said.

“I know that I want to make a difference. I know that I want to have an impact on the world.”

Kyle’s interests in law, politics and English all started in high school. He says he really began to love reading when he picked up Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. “I really got into in-depth study when I was in grade 11 and I read John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. That is my favourite novel to date. It really crystallized my interest in English literature.” Not only that, but he was also extensively involved in the arts. One of the ways Kyle got his volunteer hours was through the church he grew up with.

Kyle is a very humorous guy. He always likes to make other people in the office feel good by giving them a great laugh. During his free time Kyle enjoys watching Netflix; he enjoys hit shows such as How to Get Away With Murder and Suits. He mostly enjoys political dramas. When Kyle listens to his favourite genre of music, country, he strongly believes that most of the time there are universal messages to be shared and learned. On the side, he enjoys sports and swimming. Growing up, he focused on baseball and hockey.

During the summer, Kyle is working as Habitat’s New Business Development Coordinator. His job is to develop new ideas and strategies for the organization and find new ways to improve Habitat. “I am supposed to support the key initiatives for the 2017-2018 year. I have been working in research and development. So I’ve been using my time to look into certain programs that we are looking at pursuing.”

On Monday June 19th, 2017, Kyle had the opportunity to lead his very first meeting since he joined the organization. “It was a very proud moment for me, it was also a very humbling moment for me because I realized how difficult it is. Yet the people in the room, all the staff members were incredibly respectful, they participated in discussion and we were able to really get some good feedback on the objective of the meeting.”

Asked about the difference between participating in and leading in a meeting, Kyle said, “I think the biggest difference is moving discussion towards an objective when you sit in the chair at the head of the table you have an objective for the meeting and you do every thing you can to achieve that objective. However when you’re sitting on the other side, just around the table, your goal is to give feedback based on what your opinion and experience is. Sometimes we don’t know how much is too much and how little is too little.”

Kyle’s personal goal at Habitat is to form great relationships with the people in the office and cherish the memories he makes with them. He talked about how much he appreciates his colleagues and how much he loves to express his appreciation for them.

“He has a really good core, and demonstrates a good sense of knowing what needs to be done. Of problem solving and thinking ahead.” – Julie Watt, Manager of Stakeholder Relationships, Grant Planning & Gift-in-Kind

“Kyle offers incredible enthusiasm to the team and to every task he takes on! No job is too big or too small for Kyle and he does so with an incredible professional attitude, charm and wit!” – Melissa Foley, Manager of Team Experiences

Kyle brings “a refreshing energy and positivity that adds to and fits in nicely to our team dynamic. He is not afraid to take on a challenge or something new.” – Tara Petch, Director of New Business Development

Kyle’s goal with his job is to put spotlight on poverty, which he thinks is an issue that is being overlooked. “Everyday, when I wake up, I will know that I am coming to work to make a difference for a family out there. Poverty is an issue. It’s been around for so long that it’s being overlooked. It is still a major issue in the world, nationally and internationally.”