Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Our Human Resources Director came in today for our weekly meeting. She’s swamped with getting updated health plans and employee handbooks out, so she employed some of our high school students to sort, collate and staple. The students were grateful both to help out and to earn some spending money.
We recently hired a new Family Service Counselor, who hopes to start in a month or so.
By starting before the close of the school year, she will be able to meet students before summer break and do some job shadowing before fall rolls around.
Now, we’re advertising for several houseparents to replace the ones who are retiring or moving on to other things.
One of St. Joseph’s strengths is that our houseparents stay far longer than the national average of a couple of years.
Steve in the Dennis Home, for instance, is in his 14th year here and his 11th year in the same home. To celebrate his birthday, he has the tradition of cooking up a big batch of his famous ribs and inviting all the students at St. Joseph’s that he’s had in his home to come to the feast.
While he works with 1st – 3rd grades now, 36 of his “alumni” from 1st through 11th grade gathered in the skate room to eat, laugh, and share stories. Steve told the juniors that next year he’ll have someone represented in all 12 grades.
I had it easy at the party – didn’t even have to lead the meal grace, since the eldest student was asked to do that honor.
All of the kids crowded around Steve for a group picture afterwards. Our staff form some lasting relationships with the children they’re entrusted to care for.
One of the staff made me grin by saying that with my new hairdo, (or lack-of-hair-do) I now look like Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek. I always admired his leadership abilities anyway. Make it so!
