LIFE, Inc. prides itself on being involved with the community; more specifically, it prides itself on having its many participants be employed by various businesses within and around the Cape and in Plymouth.
Residents receive support from dedicated employment counselors located in Hyannis, Plymouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich offices. Their responsibilities as employment counselors include helping residents develop professional resumes, developing job skills and interpersonal skills, and advocating for the residents in their workplace.
Sarah L., a Mashpee resident, has been employed at Walgreens since 2013. She says that her co-workers are friendly and supportive. What gives her a sense of accomplishment at work is getting everything completed; her responsibilities include stocking merchandise on the shelves and checking to see whether or not a product has expired. She gets support from her employment counselor in Mashpee, who she says is helpful in asking for holiday time off.
Steph P., also a Mashpee resident, has been working at an early childcare center in Barnstable for six years. She has a wonderful connection with her co-workers and one of the biggest things she enjoys about her job is watching her students grow. She says her employment counselor provides support when it comes to any issues she might be having at work, calling and arranging for transportation, and any required employment-related training.
Linda R., another Mashpee resident, has been working at Roche Bros. Supermarkets for thirty years; eight of which have been in Mashpee. The biggest things she enjoys about her job is meeting new people and helping out customers. This year, she was trained to be a cashier, and received support from her employment counselor. Her other responsibilities include bagging groceries and working as a parking lot attendant. She enjoys greeting customers.
“You should keep your mind open and be confident in what you strive for.” LIFE Employment Counselor Sylvy Spinelli advises for those who might be seeking employment.
“It takes time to find work, it’s important to be patient.” Sarah L. offers. Linda R. suggests that you should find a job that you like, and one that you can learn to do. Steph P., who was laid off during the pandemic, decided to get certified as a teaching assistant; she says that getting certified could open up many new opportunities as it has for her.
About the Author
Becki G. was born and raised in Framingham, MA where she attended a school for the Deaf all throughout childhood. She first moved to LIFE at Mashpee in 2010 and enjoys the support she gets from the staff on campus. She likes reading on her Kindle, taking pictures of nature, listening to music, streaming TV shows, and writing on her blog.
