In this three part series, we’ll be highlighting our three founding team members, Inga, Kevin and Julie, who have been here from the very beginning of EPAGA’s story. If you happen to share a personal connection with them, please leave a comment below to give them the love and recognition they deserve!
Left to right: Bailey (daughter), Inga, Kevin (husband and President of EPAGA Home Care), and Samantha (daughter and General Manager at EPAGA Home Care).
Inga has been part of the EPAGA family since the company’s founding date in 2007, and while she’s one of the owners, she also operates in the role of CFO. Similarly to many of her fellow staff, her passion for home care is derived from a personal narrative and experience. In our own conversation she reflected back on the season in her life when her grandfather fell ill, and it was important to both him and his family that he was at home during a difficult season of life. In light of this, Inga was given a front row seat to the harsh reality of just how hard it is to find an adequate care provider, and an excellent one at that. Because of her grandfather’s situation, she began to learn what home care was, and began to realize the exponential need for quality care provision. In this process, she discovered something she felt passionate about, and an area in which she felt capable of initiating change.
Looking back on the story of EPAGA, it’s no mistake that she crossed paths with Julie, (who we’ll highlight in the next few weeks) through the unique connection drawn between a small engine repair shop and a motocross track. As community and friendship began to form between them and their families, together they began to realize that there must be a better way to treat clients and care providers. From there, the two began to dream about what that might look like. Together, they decided to take the plunge, and to chase a dream that involved caring for their neighbors and community with a love that looked like Jesus. Fast forward into the future, and Inga finds herself in this space at EPAGA, working hard to provide home care that offers comfort and compassion to those who need it so badly.
When I asked her how she felt God viewed the world of home care, she immediately pointed to the example of selfless love that Jesus taught in His ministry. It’s no secret that caregiving can be incredibly taxing and difficult, but she chooses to focus solely on the individual that needs care, and those that surround them. When it comes time for a care provider to step onto the scene of someone’s life, the outlook can feel hopeless and bleak. Nonetheless, it’s important to her that EPAGA exists to provide unconditional care in the worst of circumstances. Inga expressed that they are there to extend hope as often as needed, and to maintain positivity in the most difficult situations. From her perspective, the EPAGA office feels like one giant family, and while their work is not always easy, it never ceases to be fulfilling and rewarding. The family oriented nature of the staff no doubt spills over into the mission and work of EPAGA itself: to seek and to serve those in need while holding fast to the unrelenting love of God.
Inga finds herself in a constant state of learning, seeking to understand people’s vulnerabilities and striving to serve them better each day. Despite all of the implications that Covid-19 has ushered in, and all of the unknowns that could leave so many devastated, she chooses to rely on God’s provision and faithfulness. She testifies to the fact that not once in the business of care has she felt hopeless, and not once has she said the words “we can’t do this.” From her vantage point, when there’s a will there’s a way, and it's her faith that carries her through the day to day.
In her down time, Inga finds rest during her days on the farm, spending time with her family and outside, with their animals. It’s clear that the good days have left a much larger impact on her heart than the bad ones, and when asked about the best part of her job, she eagerly replied: “all of it.” But in more specific terms, she’s thankful to work in a space where she really does get to make a difference, day in and day out. She reflected once again on the story of her grandfather, recalling how much it mattered that he got to spend the last years of his life as he wanted; with his family. The importance of this is not lost on Inga, as she works each day to keep people at home, wherever that dwelling place may be for the client.
Inga also takes pride in the aspect of owner investment that sets EPAGA apart from other care provider models. As she put it, it’s important to be someone who is living in the context, someone who has “skin in the game” so to speak: someone who has a heart posture that is positioned towards service. It’s clear to so many that Inga really sees people. She doesn't back away from the hard stuff, rather, she runs to it, unafraid and unmoved. She’s confident of God, His work through EPAGA, and confident in the integrity and importance of the call to care and provide for those who are vulnerable.
