Sam Sommers started her career in 1986, the same day her son Jason turned 14.

On Friday, Island Health co-work- ers will join Sam in celebrating her retirement after 30 rewarding years of counselling and managing in al- cohol and substance use.

“I’ve been very lucky to love what I do,” said Sommers, a grandmother of 16. “I really love working with staff. I like all the aspects of my job. It’s really interesting work.”

The Port Alberni-raised Sommers was a founding director of the Dawn to Dawn: Action on Home- lessness Society — which provides transitional housing and support services to the homeless and those at risk of homelessness.

For the past 20 years, Sommers has been a driving force on the City of Courtenay Drug Strategy Committee.

She was a co-producer of a Shaw Cable series called Where We All Belong, a 14-episode production highlighting addiction issues and services in the community. The entire production took about two years to complete — the script and

set creation and everything in be- tween — thanks in large part to assistance from the community.

“The goodwill and the community buy-in was huge,” said Sommers, who considers the Comox Valley to be a “prevention community.”

After graduating from the Uni- versity of Victoria with a masters in social work, Sommers became a counsellor and later a supervisor in the mental health/substance use sector. She had a caseload for about 15 years before switching to man- agement. Over the years, she loved developing a team of “keeners.”

Never a morning person, Som- mers is cherishing the thought of not getting up early for work. But she plans to continue with the Drug Strategy Committee, which receives a great deal of support from Cour- tenay council.

She also credits Island Health for enabling programs such as Where We All Belong.

This might surprise some who know her, but Summers is also planning another house renovation.

“It’s what I like to do.”

She and her husband, Bill Massey, are hoping to travel to Italy next year.