It’s not as uncommon as you might think to find mother and daughter pairs working at the Good Samaritan Society.
Jamie Berg, a long-time Society administrator who leads Good Samaritan Society – Moscow Village in Moscow, Idaho, is happy to have her three daughters working at her location.
“To actually have your family be a part of your Good Samaritan family is a super neat bond that I’ve been thrilled to have with my kids,” says Jamie.
Her oldest child, Emma, is a school music teacher, and is temporarily doing screening checks at Moscow Village. And Jamie’s 16-year-old twin daughters, Grace and Faith, have worked in the kitchen for the past year.
Since the coronavirus pandemic started, Jamie says her younger daughters’ jobs have been a welcome distraction to spending countless hours quarantined at home. All of them love working with residents.
“They come home and have fun stories and tell me neat things about the residents that I didn’t know,” Jamie says.
When Emma was a 14-year-old, she began working at Good Samaritan Society – Silver Wood Village in Silverton, Idaho, where Jamie was administrator at the time. Emma’s role as a dietary assistant gave her good experience and helped her save money for college.
Jamie’s son, Christian, followed in Emma’s footsteps and also worked in the kitchen. Now, Grace and Faith have kept up the tradition.
“It’s really fun to see them delight in our seniors,” says Jamie. “It’s fun to have them here.”
A family affair
Other staff members at Moscow Village also have family members working there. Jenn Anderson’s daughter Julia works in the kitchen. Jenn is the senior housing director.
“It’s a family affair and I love that we have that here,” says Jenn.
When Jenn began working for the Society 12 years ago, Julia was 4 years old and would come in with her to help with activities. As Julia got older, she helped with the Christmas banquet and birthday bashes.
Julia’s familiarity with Moscow Village and its residents made it an easy choice to apply for a job. And now after working there for the past year, it’s been a great fit for her.
“She likes the people she works with and the fact that it’s flexible around her school schedule,” says Jenn.
Jenn is thankful that both she and Julia work for an organization that cares for its people.
“It’s just a wonderful place to work. I can’t say enough good things,” she says.
Kid-friendly
At Good Samaritan Society – Villisca in Villisca, Iowa, you’ll find mother daughter duo Jona Nelson and Melissa Dolph.
Jona is the office manager and has worked there for 42 years. Her youngest child, Melissa, is a full-time hairstylist and has worked part-time at the center as a cook the past two years.
Jona likes being able to see her daughter at work and says the residents have a lot of good things to say about her.
When all three of her children were young, Jona appreciated the convenience of the center’s location in proximity to the elementary school.
“It was easy to work here because my kids were right across the street when they were little,” Jona says.
Melissa remembers it being nice to have her mom’s workplace so close by. She spent a lot of time there after school helping with activities.
“I’ve grown up here and always enjoyed it,” Melissa says. It’s fun being back here.”
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