Our DSP for this week is Carlos. He works at our Paul’s Place home and has been with Living well almost a year. Carlos started as a temp with an agency that helps us cover shifts. He worked at a few Living Well homes when he started, including Upper 55th and Mears, and immediately enjoyed the mission and the people so much he came over to work with us.
Program Manager, Kelsey Schoeberl, says, “Carlos is like a rock and is very reliable and strong. When he is here, I know things will be taken care of. He cares about the people here like his family. He genuinely cares for everyone. Anything I throw at Carlos, he will figure out. He gets it, no over explanation needed. New situation, he’s got it. He’s a very essential part of Paul’s Place.”
Carlos, your kind heart is appreciated, and we are grateful you joined the team!
ABOUT CARLOS
Number of years/months with Living Well: 9 months
Hobbies/Interests: I like to hang out with family and friends. And I enjoy exercising in my spare time. I power lift competitively and did my half marathon in San Diego last month. I am planning to do the full marathon up at Grandma’s in Duluth next year.
Education: I went to school and got my CNA certificate through Alina, and am going to school for LPN, and am awaiting getting into the program.
Job Experience/History: I went to school for firefighting as well and did that for four months. But I decided I wanted to go back to school and focus on healthcare.
Favorite part of the job: Just coming in the morning, knowing that I am doing something great not just for myself but for others as well. Helping them with their daily living is important to me.
Favorite or craziest work story: At another home I did an overnight and someone gets out of bed frequently and will crawl. He kind of surprised me, on his quest for his personal bean bag. So I helped settle him back into bed. Turns out he is a bit of an escape artist and that happens from time to time.
What is your motivation for coming to work: I think what really motivates me is to care for others. It is important to have someone here to care for them, and it is something bigger than myself. Overall I am just trying to be a great human.
What made you apply: Started as a temp for about two months, then decided I really liked it and wanted to work here. I have a lot of relatives in the health care field, lots of cousins that are nurses.
What makes you stay: I think the people in the house are great, my coworkers and the people I care for make the work enjoyable. Lots of people don’t love going to work, I do!
What would you tell people interested in joining the team: Get to know the people you are going to care for, get to know them well, and spend time with them. Same for staff, if you get to know everyone you will have better relationships with them.
When not at work what do you like to do for fun: I like to grill, especially in the summertime. I like to have bonfires with my friends. I like to take care of myself when I am not at work. I think people take moving around for granted, you have to be grateful for it and move your body if able.
Want to nominate a DSP? Please email jessica.maurer@livingwell.org to nominate a Living Well DSP. Special thanks to Miles and Cheri Cohen for their support of DSP of Week. Want to join them in underwriting our DSP Shoutout Program? Please contact Jamee Yung for sponsorship opportunities.