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John Chandler grew up in Flint Michigan, attending high school at Flint Northern and then Mott Community College, where he earned an associates degree in 2009. After graduating, he wanted to work in a mental health field, and did so as a job placement coordinator, helping disabled individuals find employment as well as other adults.

Growing up in Flint was an overall positive experience. John remarked that much of his upbringing was hinged to the city and General Motor’s success, as it fueled the city’s economy and employed his father, also named John, who worked at a factory for over 25 years before retiring. His mom, Macel, worked at Hudsons, what is now known as Macys, and retired as well after 20 years of working there.  John is the youngest of 5 children, with three sisters and a brother. He still keeps in contact with them, and enjoyed being the youngest, yet was often called spoiled by his older siblings.

Going forward, John wants to get additional training and wants to specifically pursue a maters degree. He is looking into the school of gerontology at Wayne State right now.

While John still lives in Flint and is happily married to his wife Felicia and has a young daughter, working at the Village of Holly has been a great experience.  It has had a big influence on his choice of what to study in the future. He describes Holly as a small town, where the chief of police is on the board of directors for the Village, as well as some on the city council. It’s the kind of place where you see the fire chief in passing and can strike up a conversation with anyone while taking advantage of Holly’s wonderful antiquing or beaches. For John, working in Holly has created hundreds of favorite moments, one of which was a basketball game that raised money in tandem with local police officers.

Becoming a service coordinator came from a desire to make a difference in people’s lives. This position in Holly is the second such service coordinator position, and has given much greater satisfaction than the previous, where John did not feel like he had the same type of impact on the community. John talked about the need to promote empowerment, and not be satisfied with residents being given all their resources, without having to advocate for themselves too.

When he is not at work, John enjoys watching movies like Antowain Fischer, and sports. He is a big Detroit Pistons fan. John has participated in auctions and sells merchandise on Ebay. He often does these things with his wife, Felicia. The best thing about marriage is stability, and the opportunity to work hand in hand. It gives him the platform to do great things with his life. He also spends all the time he can with his daughter. While being a father has made him plan his activities more than when he was single or first married, it has also made him more empowered by being responsible as well.

See attached powerpoint slides from the bullying webinar.

The presenter moreorless read from the slides.

Kara Kirk is the social worker at The Village of Westland Senior Living facility. She attended Wayne Memorial High School, and was previously a member of the dietary staff at the Village of Westland from then time she was 16 until she went to college. What initially started as an emphasis on child welfare issues turned into re-visiting her time working with aging populations. Kara remembered how great it was working at the Village of Westland 12 years prior to her return, and decided to pursue what is now her current position.

She is graduate of the BSW program at Western Michigan and the MSW program at Wayne State University. Kara recently received her state license, making her an LMSW.

She has been busy at work since first taking on the role in November of last year. Residents come to her in need of assistance, referrals, and paperwork that needs to be completed. They’re needs are daily reminders of the importance of the job, and to continue thinking about innovating service delivery. Kara hopes to start running a support group for caregivers in the near future.

Kara’s discussions with residents keep her going on the job. They have been welcoming, supportive and willing to share their stories. When she is not at work, she is a huge baseball fan, and would spend most of nights watching the Detroit Tigers if they played year round. Her love of the game inspired her to buy a partial season ticket package this year for 15 games.

On her living room wall reads the quote “you can change the world if you care enough.” It is pretty obvious upon talking with Kara that she has lived her life well, staying true to that mantra.

To understand Stacey Molinaro, Service Coordinator at the Village of Oakland Woods in Pontiac Michigan, one needs to know about some important family influences. Her passion for the elderly came from her grandmother, affectionately referred to as “Saint” Marie. She was always a kind person regardless of what someone did or said. Even while undergoing chemo therapy, her grandmother’s kindness and courage was always on display. Then, when asked about other members of her family, Stacey had kind words to say about many, but referenced her father specifically, calling him her best friend and the reason why she completed her schooling.

Stacey received her Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) in 2009 from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters of Social Work (MSW) in 2012 from The University of New England in Portland, Maine through their online program. Here at the Village of Oakland Woods, the layout is much different than other villages. With an 88-acre campus that includes coyotes, deer, possums and other wildlife. The recent addition of walking paths by the Department of Natural Resources gives new opportunities for residents to take advantage of their surroundings, which is especially unique given their close proximity to the suburban city of Auburn Hills. Stacey’s philosophy as a Service Coordinator is strengthened by her village’s surroundings, as she hopes to empower her residents to access services for themselves and bring the spread out village together in other ways.

When she is not working, she enjoys relaxing with family and friends. While watching her favorite Netflix program or one of her 275 DVDs is always enjoyable, she also goes bowling, to the movies and out to dinner near her home in Roseville. Some day, she hopes to re-visit the DIA and spend more time on the Detroit River walk.

Whenever she can, she likes to go see live music. Stacey can’t count how many shows she has been to over the years. She has seen bands from many different genres, including Indie, Ska, and Rock and Roll. A couple favorite artists are Death Cab for Cutie and John Mayer.

Perhaps her love of live performances has influenced her own decisions to stand up in front of an audience. Stacey has recently decided to try her had at being a stand-up comedian, and is just now getting jokes together. She said the most rewarding and difficult part is to get the guts to first go up on stage.