Caring from the Heart

This is my story of a trip to one of the programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the wonderful experience I always have when I interact with one of our staff, Sherry H., a Dungarvin Community Support Coordinator. I recently had to go this program to work on the equipment Dungarvin uses for Therap. As I arrived at the program, I was greeted at the door by Sherry H., the Live-In CSC.

Sherry was in the process of cleaning the home and getting ready to prepare dinner for the people who lived there. Upon entering the house a cloud of wonderful aromas surrounded me.

From personal observation, I noticed the house was immaculately cleaned which, when added to the wonderful smells coming out of the kitchen, all I can say is a very welcoming, homey feeling came over me. I thought, “I died and went to heaven.”

As I was working with the IS Department to fix the equipment issues at hand, I found myself grateful that it was taking a little longer than expected. I just didn’t want to leave yet. Sherry made me feel so welcome; it gave me that happy warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

I further observed her preparing the dinner, watching her prepare a nutritious pasta salad from scratch which made me very hungry. Then she prepared a tossed salad. She lovingly packaged up everything and put it back into the refrigerator to keep it fresh and cold until the supported individuals came home. By the time I left, I managed to get the recipe out of her. I went home and made this same thing for dinner. My husband loved it!

I shared my day’s experience with my husband. I said to him that I hope if some day I ever needed a caregiver, I wished it would be Sherry or someone anywhere near as caring.

Every time I have had to go out to this program I experience this same type of circumstance, so I know that this is not a one-time “hit or miss” occurrence. She cares greatly for the people we support. She loves them and treats them as if they were her family and how she would want to be treated.

This day that I went out there was not her scheduled hours of work; this is something she does just because that who Sherry is. She wants the people we support to have a life experience that is this wonderful, and to have them always feel loved and cared for.

This truly is a way of life for Sherry and it comes from a caring, loving heart.