My Life's Commitment

In 1981 I received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan in Community Organization. All the social work I did was connected to the community in order to provide services to people who needed them. I worked for an area agency on aging, providing resources to allow elderly people to remain in their homes. I was able to do this by coordinating care with visiting nurses, meals on wheels, transportation, and housekeeping services to the elderly. When I started working in hospitals, they were community hospitals, so that I had to develop relationships with similar people as above, as well as nursing homes and rehabilitation centers and medical equipment companies. I even had to collect names of facilities that would come out to people's houses and care for their pets, because a lot of people would refuse care unless they knew their pet was being cared for first. I knew where to get clothes for people, where they could get food, where they could sleep if they were homeless, and where to find them if they were homeless. I had contacts within the police and sheriff's departments to look for people if they didn't come in for treatment. I connected people to hospice when it was time to die. I am proud of every single thing I did as a community organization social worker. When I stopped working I did volunteer work in the community. After seven years at one volunteer program, I decided to move on to use my beadwork to create items for charity. I make approximately 6 items a year that are auctioned to raise funds for cancer, for food banks, and for homeless shelters. I am proud of how I have spent my life's work, and I will continue to contribute as long as I can.