Introduction of Sarah Komatsu, SOS Collab’s Joint Care Navigator

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Komatsu as the new Joint Care Navigator for the SOS Collab hosted at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Pittsburgh. With a deep commitment to community service and a passion for helping others, Sarah brings a wealth of experience and compassion to her role. As Joint Care Navigator, Sarah will be working closely with families in need, providing critical support and resources to help them navigate challenging situations. Her role is integral to ensuring that individuals and families receive the comprehensive assistance they need, from emergency relief to long-term support. 

Sarah’s primary responsibilities include connecting families with essential services, coordinating assistance across multiple programs of the SOS Collab, and serving as a compassionate advocate for those facing financial and personal hardships. Her work will be instrumental in helping us continue to fulfill our mission of supporting the most vulnerable members of our community. 

Sarah has just moved back to Pittsburgh from Los Angeles, Ca where she lived for eight years. To help you get to know Sarah better, we provided her with a few questions for a brief interview: 

What inspired you to join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and what does this role mean to you? 

• When I moved back to Pittsburgh this past spring, I knew that I wanted to use all that I had learned and experienced for something important. While valuing purpose made the job hunt harder, it was all the more exciting to discover St. Vincent de Paul and the incredible charity that is run through this organization. I am so excited to be a part of such a venerated organization and one that has been around for so many years. It’s an honor to be a part of history alongside my brothers and sisters, especially in the pursuit of living out the Gospel. The role of Joint Care Navigator means that I’ll be able to help our neighbors-in-need at least one step closer to finding peace in paying a light bill or taking some weight off their shoulders with a furniture set. There are so, so many people in need, and while Jesus says that the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26), we can care for and love those in the community as best we can. Doing it with other organizations, partnering to provide even more careful love to our neighbors, that’s just the cherry on top. 

Can you share a bit about your background and how it has prepared you for this position? 

• While I did work at a non-profit before I moved away from Pittsburgh, the most valuable experiences that I’ve had to launch me in this position were once I moved West. I lived at a foster home in Arizona, right outside of the Navajo Nation. The children told me many stories of how difficult it was to find food or to not have running water, and as a house parent, we ourselves needed to apply for government assistance to feed everyone and keep the lights on. It never got easier asking for help, which I believe helps me have great understanding and compassion for our neighbors-in-need who call. Once I was in California, I was actively involved in my church, where I had more glimpses into the lives of immigrant families and those with extreme hardship. I worked for another non-profit which supported people experiencing houselessness, and that experience taught me a lot about partnerships and more of the innerworkings of non-profits. Both my behind-the-scenes and firsthand experiences have prepared me for this role, being able to talk directly to the people in need, advocate for them and help them navigate through this time to the best of my ability. 

What are some of the first things you’re looking forward to doing in your new role as Joint Care Navigator? 

• I’ve already had the pleasure of returning the many messages we’ve received and speaking with our neighbors-in-need. Looking forward, I’m so excited to be a part of this collaboration, to find new ways to build bridges and find the most and best support for the Pittsburgh (and greater Southwest PA) community. There is so much to learn, and I want to be able to help as many people as possible, with whatever they need. 

How do you plan to connect with and support the families you’ll be working with? 

• I’m already catching up with the messages that have been left, so other than phone, I believe that we will have an online forum where people can submit requests for information. We will use whatever means we can to get the word out about the assistance and support we can provide. I’d love to meet both the organizations and smaller conferences in person; since I’m referring our neighbors to them, I want to know what information is helpful for them to have or me to deliver. 

What do you hope to achieve in your first year with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul? 

• In my position at St. Vincent de Paul, I’m hoping to be able to streamline some of our systems, and to create a better database with fuller information. While every conference is doing a great job running their community, I’d love to see a single database with what conferences are currently able to provide (if only to not refer a neighbor-in-need to them when they’re unable to help). I’d also like to create a system to curate a list of individuals who would be candidates and willing to share their story of how we’ve been used by God to support them in their difficulties. 
• With St. Vincent de Paul as an organization, my hope is that whatever time I have to spend here, I do it in both present and future tenses. I wish to do my job today to the best of my ability, but I also hope to leave whatever imprint possible to continue into St. Vincent de Paul’s future. The world is changing, but there will always be people in need, so much can be done to ensure that future generations are able to both support and receive support from St. Vincent de Paul. 

Anything else you would like to share? 

• I am just so, so happy to be here, to be a part of this organization and family, and to serve the people in my beloved Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA. 

Sarah’s enthusiasm and dedication make her a perfect fit for this role, and we’re excited to see the positive impact she will have on the lives of the families we serve. Please join us in welcoming Sarah to our team! You can reach her at skomatsu@svdppitt.org or by calling 412.321.1071×1006.