FEBRUARY 29 • 2024 | 23
J
N
C
aregiving is an import-
ant public health
role that affects the
quality of life for millions of
individuals, including those
with developmental disabilities.
And the impact of caregivers on
life and community makes the
work they do a critical part of a
strong society.
On Sunday, March 3, local
nonprofit JARC, an organi-
zation serving adults with
developmental disabilities, will
honor the work of their care-
givers on National Caregiver
Appreciation Day. This annual
national date honors, appreci-
ates and thanks the caregivers
who give their time and effort
to care for those in need, such
as for those people living with
disabilities, illnesses and the
elderly.
JARC employs a large staff of
caregivers who provide care to
120 adults with developmental
disabilities at 45 locations
in Metro Detroit, including
24-hour care in group homes
and independent living settings.
One of their many exceptional
caregivers is Michelle Smith,
who has worked at JARC for the
past 34 years.
Michelle is currently the
home manager of a JARC group
home and serves six ladies who
live there. She enjoys learning
all of the interests of the ladies
she serves and values her
relationships with each of them.
“The ladies are each unique
in so many ways, especially with
their own interests,
” Michelle
says. “Judy is very loving and
playful and loves to dance
and twirl. Marcia thinks she’s
Beyonce; while she can’t speak
in sentences, she can sing! And
Sandra is the Bingo queen.
”
Michelle has also seen
personal growth in these ladies
and everyone she has served
while at JARC, sharing that she
has helped people she serves
as they work to overcome
their fears, set goals and learn
something new, and develop
coping skills.
Michelle feels particularly
fortunate to see the personal
growth in Judy, who has been
served by JARC almost as
long as Michelle has worked at
JARC. When Judy first moved
into the JARC home, she would
need to visit a hospital to have
any physical care provided, as
she would not allow anyone
to touch her. While Judy is
nonverbal and her expressions
can be difficult to interpret, she
has come to trust Michelle and
the other caregivers who work
in her home and now allows
them to provide her personal
care and even enjoys showing
affection to them.
“Beyond the exceptional care
she provides, Michelle and the
entire JARC team working in
the Milan home are focused
on creating an environment of
happiness and independence
for the ladies living there,
” said
JARC CEO Shaindle Braunstein.
“Bringing decades of experience
to her role at JARC, Michelle
also cares about making sure
that any other staff member
who wants to can benefit from
her knowledge. She has never
turned down a staff person who
called her for help and always
has a smile on her face.
”
Michelle is also passionate
about the sense of community
she has with her fellow JARC
caregivers and the opportunities
she has to teach new employees.
During the span of her career at
JARC, she has worked in four
JARC homes, working both
midnight shifts and afternoon
shifts, eventually becoming
a home manager. Michelle’s
willingness to teach and guide
new managers has a clear
impact on her team, which is
evident in that most staff in the
home she manages have worked
there for nearly two decades. “
A
big part of my job is to support
my staff, and they support me
in return,
” she says.
While Michelle has made
a difference in the lives of the
people JARC serves, working
at JARC has also impacted
Michelle’s own life, and she feels
fortunate that in helping others,
she has been able to learn new
things as well.
“Everyone has an impact,
” she
shares, recalling learning about
the Holocaust during visits from
the mother of a person JARC
serves who was a Holocaust
survivor, and about Judaism
and the importance of shemira
(watching over the body of the
deceased prior to burial) from
a person who had worked at a
Jewish funeral home.
Michelle says her career in
direct care and her dedication
to the people JARC serves is
summed up in one thing: the
love. “Caregiving is the best job
you can do,
” Michelle says.
“If there was a place to learn
how to love and be loved, and
to be taken care of, JARC is the
place. I know the people we
serve truly appreciate the care
we provide.
”
If you are interested in becoming a
part of the important work JARC does
or know of someone who may be, visit
www.jarc.org/careers to explore career
opportunities.
JARC honors Michelle Smith, employed 34 years
as a caregiver and a manager of a group home.
A Very Caring Person
JN STAFF
JARC caregiver Michelle Smith with Marsha, a person
JARC serves in the home Michelle manages.