A Member’s Special Thank You

 We thought that this was an unusually candid submission for The Compass, so we wanted to run it in its entirety and separately from our Connections column.  Read it:  you may be touched, moved and inspired by it!  — The Editor.

I would like to send a very special thank you to Marguerite Salvucci of South Coastal Bank and Janet LaBerge of Dirty Deeds. 

 February 26, 2009, I lost my job after 26 years with the same company.  After months of networking, I seemed to be getting nowhere.  Marguerite invited me to come to the SSWBN breakfast to network with the members.  I decided to join shortly thereafter and started putting myself out there.  Many of the members reached out to me, Christy Kendrick of Acme Glass, Loraine Fields from The Flower Mill and Katie Howard, SSWBN to name a few, and I will be forever grateful.

 In the spring of 2010, I began working at the Rockland Golf Course part-time, still continuing my search for a full-time job.  I still seemed to be getting nowhere.  Janet LaBerge knew my story and reached out to me to attend the South Shore Senior Services Networking meeting.  At this meeting, I met Pat Dowd from Home Helpers along with some others.  I ultimately hired one of the caregivers from Home Helpers to assist with my stepfather for seven months.  Shortly thereafter, I received a call from Pat asking if I wanted to come to work for her doing marketing for her company.  I joined her team in November of 2010.

 I have been very fortunate to have been given an opportunity to find two jobs within a short span of time from each other.

 If Marguerite had not reached out to me and invited me to that breakfast, I would never have had an opportunity to meet Janet and ultimately Pat Dowd.

 For them I am very thankful and am glad I joined the SSWBN.

Karen Byers
Rockland Golf Course & Home Helpers