FABULOUS DEBBIE - BEGINNING A NEW CAREER

Debbie High is 58 years old and fabulous!  She has known most of her life that she was a vibrant and outgoing approachable person; however, she didn’t come into her own until she reached the big 50.  Debbie lived a sheltered life while residing with her family in a rural town.  Her parents wanted to protect her from the perils of the world so she didn’t get to go to school till she was an adult like everyone else, and she didn’t interact with community members or do things expected of her age group growing up.  Once her parents passed away, her sister knew it was time for Debbie to shine.  It took a lot of persuading on her sister’s part to get Debbie to open up and experience the world, but once she did there was no end to her becoming an active community member.  Once she moved in with her sister, Debbie began volunteering at a local nursing home assisting the residents with bingo.  Then she began attending a Day Habilitation Program held by a local community health provider.  Debbie’s sister knew Debbie needed more.  With the help of her sister and companions Debbie began to experience more of the world with bowling, shopping, going out to eat, and visiting the local Hot Spots for a little game of chance.  These are activities that she began to need on a weekly even daily basis to meet her social needs. 

During all of these activities and interactions Debbie has become a known community member.  Her sister is always pleasantly surprised when she is out with Debbie and she runs into someone who knows her.  Debbie’s sister still knew Debbie could do more and needed more to thrive.  That’s when Job Squad came into the picture.   Debbie had an interest in employment.  Debbie loves bling and needed a way to feed her ring and bracelet obsession.  Through the Discovery process and just meeting Debbie it was apparent that she is very outgoing and loves fashion.  After some time, Job Squad was able to make a connection with a locally owned consignment store where Debbie was eventually hired to sort and hang all incoming consignment and to assist with getting the new product out onto the sales floor.  She had to organize the clothes by size and color and keep the racks orderly and presentable.  After some time due to some unforeseen issues, Debbie was laid off.  Over the next coming months, Debbie took another big step in life by obtaining an apartment of her own. 

Debbie’s story is still continuing with a new job at TJ Maxx where she works three days a week.  Debbie sorts incoming merchandise and follows TJ Maxx company protocol for hanging all new clothing by department and company specifications.  She continues to collect rings and bracelets and maintains an active lifestyle.  Debbie’s story has been one of growth and change.  The story of fabulous still has pages left to fill.

Written by:  Shannon Corso, Career Counselor, Job Squad, Inc.