Trish McManus
Trish McManus, a resident of Newtown, came to Woods Services at the beginning of February. She shares, “My goal was to be a part of a local brain injury organization and, after some research I found Woods Services. Once I met the staff members and talked to some of the clients I was encouraged and excited that I would have the opportunity to be placed within Beechwood.”
Trish started out assisting Karen Kelley, a Beechwood Vocational Program Specialist, once a week in The Beech Tree. This program was created as a vocational opportunity for Beechwood clients to re-learn workplace skills while providing a quality competitive product for the community. Some examples of products The Beech Tree offers are bubble baths, hand soaps, and anti-bacterial gel. These are offered in a variety of sizes and scents.
After just a few weeks of volunteering, Trish added another day at Woods. “She is a perfect fit! Trish is dependable, helpful and an active participant to our group,” affirms Dawn Scheidell, Beechwood’s Director of Vocational Services. She continues, “The Beechwood department has been more than pleased with Trish’s performance in helping to mentor and assist our Beech Tree clients.”
When asked to comment on her experience so far, Trish shares,
“I am so happy to be volunteering at Beechwood and to be part of The Beech Tree program. It is very rewarding and fun to work with the clients to help them produce beautiful quality products. I am always amazed at how much we are able to accomplish each session. It is so rewarding for me to see the teamwork and pride they have in their work each week. Sometimes a client is a second set of eyes for someone else, or they offer words of encouragement when someone is doing a task that is new to them. It's also rewarding for me when we see the result of our work, like when we decoratively fill a large basket with product and send it through the shrink-wrap machine. That is when we know our small business is a big success. It is such a great environment and I am happy to be a part of it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity - it is a tremendous feeling to give and, like so many of us, we receive so much more in return.”
Thank you, Trish, for your continued enthusiasm and service. You are an asset to Woods.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming a Woods’ volunteer, please email Victoria Brossy, Coordinator of Volunteers, at volunteers@woods.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
