Meet Azaria Anderson, Purppl’s new Marketing Coordinator
This past spring, we welcomed Azaria Anderson to the Purppl team as our new – and first ever – Marketing Coordinator. This is a brand new role for Purppl, one that adds needed capacity to our growing team as we deepen our ability to connect with impact leaders and share stories about/for the social sector. In this role, Azaria supports the planning and execution of community outreach strategies and events that help grow Purppl’s relationships with clients, partners, and the broader social impact ecosystem. 
A native of Jamaica residing in Syilx-Okanagan territory, Azaria has spent years supporting nonprofits and charities in both professional and volunteer capacities, gravitating toward roles that help people feel seen, supported,and connected. Whether she’s crafting content, coordinating campaigns, refining systems, or managing events, she’s always focused on the human side of impact. “My work is built on compassion for others and a simple desire to do good.”
From the first time we met Azaria, her passion for people and her commitment to being of service in community was clear. Before coming to Purppl, she supported two of Purppl’s nonprofit clients and collaborators: KCR Community Resources, a multi-service agency in the Central Okanagan that provides a wide range of support services for individuals, families, and diverse groups; and OCCA Communities Association, which supports newcomers and equity-seeking groups to overcome barriers and succeed at every stage of their journey. In both cases, the folks she worked with confirmed what we’ve come to know about Azaria: she leans into the work with joy, curiosity, and a desire to create real impact for people.
Azaria’s commitment to purpose goes way back. “Growing up, my family was always extraordinarily generous – even with little. I’ve watched them share time and resources with others, even when we didn’t have a lot ourselves.”
After high school, she spent time on a sabbatical with the Missionaries of Charity. It was a turning point. “Even though I didn’t know how or where, I knew that I had to be involved in work that made tangible change to our society.”
Azaria is especially motivated by the twin challenges of loneliness and inequity – two issues that, in her view, often go hand in hand.
“Loneliness is a huge issue people face,” she explains. “Resources always seem to be bottlenecked and only offered to the few who are closest to the top. Or a one-size-fits-all blanket solution is thrown at problems with no attempt to understand the human.”
So what does she do? She finds ways to “poke holes in the canopy” – seeking out resources, building relationships, and helping get support to the people who need it most. And when those resources don’t exist she collaborates with others to build them.
She has also learned that impact doesn’t always come with a spotlight. “Sometimes the most important role in this work is being the foundation that others can lean on when advocating.”
When asked about the legacy she hopes to leave, Azaria shares this: “I want to know that I helped, even if just a little. That at least one woman or marginalized folk – or one person fleeing war and oppression – was able to get the help they needed either directly from me or through an organization I supported. I want to help one by one until I’ve helped all who I can.”
And on the tough days? She draws strength from the stories of people who’ve survived hardship and gone on to make real change. “When I read biographies of people who were able to make it out of harmful – and sometimes downright evil – situations and I see the work they do now and the impact that it makes on the community, it helps me to persevere.”
We’re lucky to have Azaria on the team. She’s already bringing great questions, new perspectives, and a whole lot of joy and humour.
This post is part of our Purposeful People series, where we share the voices of those working toward a just, regenerative economy—one relationship at a time.
