As an Americorp VISTA, I love so many aspects of my job. One area that especially excites me is when I have the opportunity to meet with area businesses to form potential partnerships. This week I had a wonderful experience at the Stoney Creek Inn after they reached out about hiring some of our refugees.
Patrick Morris is an Assistant General Manager who has a passion to employ hardworking individuals in search of a place of employment with a culture of family and community. His background in nonprofit work shows his level of commitment to help others. I also enjoyed hearing about his plans to expand their services for the community, which will then provide additional opportunities for current and future employees.
In addition to the great benefits that their company already provides, Patrick seems passionate about providing little touches of gratitude to his staff. We hope that some of the housekeeping positions would be a good fit for mothers in the City of Refuge community. The mothers would be able to work in a safe environment and work during school hours. The sense of community and family would be welcoming as well. I personally believe that management plays an important role in the culture of a workplace. In this workplace, I saw management and staff working shoulder to shoulder.
Patrick introduced me to one of his supervisors, who is also a refugee from Iraq. Imagine my delight when I heard that she had previously worked for Safi Sana, a cleaning service that had been providing jobs for City of Refuge friends in our area. I hope that I will have a future opportunity to talk more with this amazing woman. She would be able to relate to our refugees and also be skilled in ways to communicate with any non-English speakers on her team.
Patrick also told me about his pre-COVID staff, which had consisted of many non-English speakers. I have formal training for communicating with non-English speakers but I don't know if Patrick does. However, I was impressed with his methods because they show the level of effort that he invested in order to create training and support for these unique employees. In other situations I have offered employers assistance and training when they express interest in employing our refugees. I did not feel the need to do so here because he had already independently created a successful system.
The hubby and I had visited Stoney Creek on a "staycation" when our children were small, but I had forgotten how much I loved the decor and layout of the hotel. I know that their conference rooms are in demand as well. Patrick took me on a tour to show me the different hotel suites and conference areas. I definitely have the bug to plan another "staycation" soon; plus, we can take the "hairy child" with us! I was excited to hear that the hotel is pet friendly and has plans to expand their pet amenities. As you can see, our little dog loves to go places!
I want to express my appreciation to the staff and management for making my experiences (my personal stay and my professional visit) so enjoyable. I am excited to partner with them in securing jobs for my friends in the City of Refuge community.
And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jude 1:22 KJV
Click here to find out more about volunteer opportunities at City of Refuge.
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions
of the Americorp VISTA program or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
All photos of Stoney Creek Inn are stock photos and used with my deep gratitude.
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