When he signed up last fall to intern at Arbor Terrace of Burnt Hickory, Angel was just looking to learn the ropes for a possible career after graduation. As it turned out, he quickly turned into one of the essential workers that have inspired so much gratitude and admiration during this pandemic.
Angel is a student at Marietta High School and part of the school’s Work-Based Learning/Youth Apprenticeship (WBL/YAP) program, which helps students acquire professional work experience beyond the four walls of the school building. Angel started in a non-paid role at Arbor Terrace in the fall and transitioned into a paid position on the dining team in February -- just weeks before the pandemic erupted.
Staff members are happy he’s here.
“I am so glad that Angel is part of the Burnt Hickory team,” said Beth Laxton, MS, Executive Director at Arbor Terrace of Burnt Hickory. “He has been called on to do a lot of different jobs and has stepped up to do those jobs without hesitation.”
“Angel has never called off and has never been late,” added Marykatherine Austin, Dining Director at Arbor Terrace. “He is someone I can truly count on to get the job done.” Given that food supplies are dropped over via contact-free delivery, she added, Angel’s assistance in safely unpacking and sorting food deliveries has been invaluable.
Angel is one of four participants in the program working in senior living communities this semester, according to Angela K. Sparks, Career Advisor at Marietta High School. Thrust into the pandemic, all four have embraced the challenge of observing strict sanitation procedures and social distancing guidelines, in order to continue to serve the seniors in the communities safely.
“I would argue that they are the local unsung heroes of COVID-19,” she said.
Arbor Terrace of Burnt Hickory, known for providing quality care in Marietta, Georgia, could be the right place for your parents to call home. To visit Arbor Terrace of Burnt Hickory and see this for yourself, call 770-691-0050 and arrange a tour.