Angels of the Month Recognized

February Angel of the Month

We are ever so proud to announce Amaka Ibekwe as our Angel of the Month for March. We knew from the start that she would be a star; on the day that she passed all of our screens and finished orientation, I introduced her to a client right away! Amaka has served many of our client families since she joined us in 2010, and every one of them falls in love with her. We have letters of testimonial with her name front and center, and two of our families are lucky enough to have her right now. Amaka has an infectious laugh, and she is always conversational, warm and genuine. She always seems to know just the right touch to bring a ray of sunshine into the day. Once recently, one of her clients who was having a bad day called her just to hear her voice. She is always reliable and conscientious, and a joy to have as part of a team of caregivers serving a family.

Amaka has been married for 14 years to a man from her home country of Nigeria, having received several proposals before she met him. She has a daughter 13 years old, another daughter 9 years old, and a son who is 5 years old, all living here together. Her own parents had 11 children, of which she is one of the younger ones. We hope that all these family members know how wonderful she is – if not, they should read this to learn what we think of her.

We are lucky indeed to have you as part of our team, Amaka. There was a time when you left us for a few months to study for your nursing degree, and of course we wish you well in that pursuit. Meanwhile, we’re so glad that you have chosen to work for Visiting Angels.

January Angel of the Month

We are as proud as we can be to announce our Angel of the Month for January, Janet Wilson. Janet started working for Visiting Angels originally in 2009, but there came a time when we couldn’t place her quickly enough, so she accepted employment elsewhere. She rejoined us in 2011, but after a few months, that client ended services, and again we couldn’t re-assign her quickly enough, so once again she found a job elsewhere. (Janet exemplifies a principle that I have seen many times: a great caregiver who becomes unemployed is like a bucket of water after you take your foot out – the foot-shaped hole doesn’t last for very long!) She came back to us again in June, 2013, and we have held onto her ever since.

We held our award ceremony for Janet at the home of her current client, and it’s clear that there is a real bond there. She represents the best that home care has to offer: insightful, conversational, and always in a good humor. She truly enjoys the company her clients, and lets it show. In return, they always seem to love her companionship, as well. She is an excellent cook, even with the cuisine of people from other cultures – for example, she keeps a kosher kitchen and diet for her current client. She is able to organize the medical appointments and other aspects of a client’s life. Her housekeeping is immaculate. And she has excellent personal care skills and mobility assistance skills. Janet is the whole package.

Janet comes from a large family, with five siblings, only one of which lives nearby. She has a six year-old and a four year-old son, who stay with her mother-in-law when necessary for Janet to work. Her husband is seeking work out of state right now, but we’re not-so-secretly hoping that he gives up on that and returns to Massachusetts, so that we don’t lose Janet.

Janet, thank you so much for making the lives of seniors better, with all the many things you do. We celebrate you and hope that you always keep in mind how much we appreciate you for who you are.