by Vincent Gieser

Created on: September 25, 2008   Last Updated: September 18, 2010

My passion is working for the mentally retarded. I am fortunate to have a career for a small non profit company that serves developmentally disabled adults. I finally got my act together while dating my future wife and got a degree in psychology. I dreamed of getting a job in human services and working my way up. I have done just that.

I started out in my company as a nurse's aid helping take client's to doctors appointments. I then started helping out in the rooms of our day program assisting the instructors. Then my boss offered me a promotion to be the instructor of the room which serves the most severely retarded clients of our center. I accepted his offered and found my calling. I am a natural at taking care, serving, relating, entertaining, and teaching the mentally retarded. My room was room 1 and most of the clients in this room cannot feed themselves, use the toilet, or take medicine. I had to change diapers, feed clients, wipe up snot and vomit, take blood pressure, g-tube feed, administer medications, take care of clients who had seizures, perform physical therapy, and document paper work. I worked in this room for an entire year.

In room 1 there were depressing winter days that made you think, "Why are there mentally retarded people who are helpless?" To answer that question I learned compassion. We have the gift of compassion that can grow and expand and answer this question with we can help the helpless and allow the helpless to enjoy being alive. When my wheelchair bound client smiles because she is glad to see me I know why I work for this nonprofit. This is my passion.

Well I was promoted to activity coordinator with my degree in psychology. As activity coordinator I got to do fun stuff with my clients but I also had a lot more administrative responsibility. I had to work with the nurse again on plan of cares for our clients. I kept on rising and have been promoted to Assistant Center Director. I manage all of my employees and am in charge of all 47 caseloads of my clients. I have a lot of responsibility and can be overwhelmed by the work load but my hours are great and I get a lot of vacation time. I am almost my own boss in this company. Working for a nonprofit gives me purpose in life. I am good at what I do and have found my niche. When my clients say 'Hey I love you." It makes the hardest day all worthwhile. Remember to the world you might be just one person but to one person you might be the world.

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