An interview between Sameer and Lonnie, two of our organization’s staff.
Sameer: Could you tell me when you started at Families Forward and just a little bit about your job?
Lonnie: Well my starting date was June the 5th, 2005, and my position is Maintenance. It’s just something that I’ve been doing for a long time. Before I started here, I worked down in Center City for a printing company and I was doing the same thing. You know doing repairs, doing building, so when I got the job here I was so used to doing the work.
Sameer: Wow, 15 years! That’s a long time!
Lonnie: Yeah, yeah it is! I’m not quite sure how long Families Forward was in the building. It was already here for two years before I started.
Sameer: Yeah that sounds about right. Can you tell me a little bit about your day-to-day?
Lonnie: My day is, I do the cleaning, I do repairs in the room like when there’s a radiator that’s broken, I go in and look at it and see what I can do. If I can’t fix it, I call the Kirkbride engineers and they bring in a crew to take care of it. But other than that I do the cleaning of the building, the inside, the outside, you know the repairs. Then I have a lot of coworkers. I have a lovely staff here that works with me, you know to do the cleaning and the repairs.
Sameer: Can you tell me a little bit about how you work with staff? I’d imagine some folks have been with you a long time?
Lonnie: Yes, well we have the Resident Assistants, you know they go and do room checks and make sure they’re neat and do not need repairs. When they need any repairs they will call me and I’ll come in and assess it, I’ll put a little spackling on the walls, do a little bit of painting. You know we have a lot of kids, and kids will be kids so we go and inspect all the time.
Sameer: And when you’re doing this work, are you generally on the floor and around or is it more of “I get a call and I go do the job?”
Lonnie: Oh no you know, I’m around the residents and staff all the time. I interact with the residents, they come and say Mr. Lonnie my heater is making a lot of noise, and I would come in and fix it for them. I try to keep everybody happy, the best way I can.
Sameer: Can you speak a little bit about that, about the sense of community between staff and residents and how you feel about it?
Lonnie: Oh, it’s real lovely in here. We have a real nice crew in here that helps out everyone that comes in. Sometimes, we get new families in and they’re a little down, you know, that’s the situation they’re in. But we sit down and talk with them, tell them what we can do for them. In here it’s nothing really but love, with the residents and with the staff … that’s all I can say to you.
Sameer: That’s incredible, to be not just an employee but a real part of community. I understand you live in the area? Does that build that sense of community also for you?
Lonnie: Yes my home is nearby, I catch just one bus to get to work. Once I started working here and meeting different people, and having different staff come on board… it’s like coming home, you know, it’s somewhere you want to be. It reminds me of the TV show Cheers! You know you have the staff that is friendly with you, and then you have the residents, so it’s like a big family and all.
Sameer: What’s your favorite part of the job?
Lonnie: Oh that’s coming in and helping the residents, doing any kind of repairs. When I come in and someone might not have a light, when I pop that light in, and to see the joy that creates putting that light on, it also creates a joy in me. I just like to help people out, any kind of way I can. That’s the type of person I’ve always been all my life. I just love my job, you know that’s all it is. Some people come to work and don’t like to come to their jobs. This is a place I love coming to every day.
Sameer: Wow that is the dream!
Lonnie: Yeah you know it really is. I’ve been here a long time, I’ve seen people come and people go. Sometimes families come back and we let them know listen, things happen in life, just come in we can concentrate on getting you and your family set up here together, and whatever you need, we’re here to help you the best way we can.
Sameer: You’ve been there so long, that I’m sure there have been smoother times and more challenging times. Right now, with COVID-19, how has that affected your job, not just the facilities but also the families?
Lonnie: Oh we’re really serious about COVID. We have taken big action on that. We do a temperature check everyday with the staff and the residents. We have Kirkbride come in and sterilize the building with sanitizer to keep everything down. So actually, we’ve been good, to be honest! We’ve had nothing, just things like the common cold. We make sure to tell people, if you’re feeling sick come talk to us and we’ll give you a temperature check. If something feels really wrong we’ll call an ambulance and get you to the hospital.
Sameer: Yeah, it is funny how with something like COVID, it’s challenging but it can also build community because people are looking out for each other.
Lonnie: Yes and I think that’s what it is happening out here, everyone is coming together!
