Kaley Wong had been out of work for 10 years when she decided she wanted to make a change in her life. Tired of being at home and wanting to help support her family, Kaley enrolled in the ACC’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in order to find a regular job. When ACC started SCSEP in February of 2017, Kaley was assigned as a clerk at a Goodwill Store.
While the work there kept her busy and she learned a great deal about retail, Kaley was looking for something that was a better fit not only for her language skills (she is bilingual in English and Cantonese), but focused more on caregiving. The ACC SCSEP staff worked with her to redefine her job career goals and found a match for Kaley at our own Care Center in Activities.
Kaley began her assignment in April of 2018. This turned out to be a great match. The Care Center needed help with keeping their residents active and stimulated, and her ability to communicate in Cantonese really helped her bond with many of the clients there. Kaley helps clients with entertainment, physical activities and socializing.
As the months passed, Kaley developed great relationships with the residents and they soon came to really look forward to and enjoy their time with her. Kaley really also appreciated being able to use her native language to help as well. Eleven months later, the ACC Care Center decided to make Kaley a permanent member of their Activities staff, and both Kaley and management could not be happier. Activity Director Debbie Williams described Kaley as an easy person to train because she was already a perfect fit for the role, especially given her language ability. Add to that the fact that the clients really love Kaley, hiring her was an easy decision to make.
Kaley is grateful for the
opportunity that SCSEP offered her and would like all older people to know that
even though it may be challenging, you can find work again and you just have to
stay positive.
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