Ruth Zanker

Ruth oversees the Communities at Work team that supports the most vulnerable and those experiencing hardship in the Canberra community through the provision of food, clothing and accommodation programs as well as the volunteering program for Communities at Work. Ruth has worked in the community sector since joining Communities at Work in 1994. She has had a range of roles in her career, including focuses on early childhood, supporting the vulnerable through criminal and family law proceedings, homelessness, food rescue, and emergency relief program management. She has represented the community in many peak body groups, is part of the Social Recovery Network related to disaster support and has been on both State and National Boards related to her work. Ruth's values of community are the foundation of everything she strives for both professionally and personally. Outside of work, Ruth is a keen amateur florist, gardener, and makes the most of Canberra's social and learning opportunities.