Meet our amazing CSSW Team! Up next in our Q&A series is Jeannette, Manager of Caregiver Services, who joined CSSW in January 2022.
What is your position, and how long have you been with CSSW?
Manager of Caregiver Services, started in January 2022.
What made you decide to work for CSSW?
I was looking for a position that would allow me to use my education and experience to develop sincere connections with people and help them in a specialized way with their needs.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Like a golden retriever puppy with its toys, I have several favorites about my job: connecting with and helping people, developing relationships with community agencies for marketing and collaborative purposes, interacting with my colleagues, the laid-back but hard-working and dedicated atmosphere in the office.
Tell us about an experience that you will always remember.
The gratification of helping one particular caregiver whose husband’s unusual diagnosis prompted them to move to Ann Arbor to be near his doctors. Socialization is nearly impossible due to caregiving constraints. Their faith community is several towns away and the caregiver has missed attending her women’s group meetings. Our Volunteer Caregiver Respite (VCR) program matched a trained volunteer to stay with the care recipient. Now the caregiver can resume participating in her faith community, receiving the religious, emotional, and social support she has been missing.
Anything else that you would like to share?
Both the Caregiver Programs–Volunteer Caregiver Respite (VCR) and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG)—are currently serving only a small portion of people who could use our support. We are always seeking to spread the word to health care providers, potential volunteers, and to schools and other agencies to raise awareness of the help both programs can offer those giving care to loved ones.