Richard has a long history working at organizations that support adults with disabilities. Before he joined Anthesis, Richard worked in three different roles at OPARC: Community Trainer, Case Manager, and Maintenance Assistance. Out of all his experience, Richard enjoyed maintenance work the most. He has a talent for fixing things and a passion for ensuring that participants have a safe and functional environment. In 2008, Anthesis had an opening for a Maintenance Technician and approached Richard to join the team. Let’s just say it was a no brainer for Richard to leave OPARC and join Anthesis.
During his 13 years at Anthesis, Richard emphasized that the peak of his job is working with the participants – the joy of working with them is the highlight of his job every day. Prior to COVID-19, Richard worked with many more participants than he does now. Unfortunately, Richard has not been able to see as many participants as he did before the pandemic. With in-person services returning, he is looking forward to seeing and interacting with everyone on a daily basis again.
At Anthesis, he does a great job keeping maintenance and janitorial needs up to date. Richard is very creative and that goes a long way at Anthesis. He works hard to fulfill needs, make repairs around the offices, created adaptive technology options for our workers and has even built materials needed for events. Regardless of how difficult and tedious a job may be, Richard puts in his all to make sure it is completed properly. Richard is polite, responsive, and dependable – he is the “go-to” person when we need something fixed, created, or cleaned! Because of his amazing skill set and kind personality, Anthesis staff and participants are so grateful to be able to call on Richard for help.
As mentioned in Steven F.’s blog post, which is available to read here, Richard helped Steven discover his interest in repairing lawn equipment. Richard’s patience and skills make him a great mentor for Steven. As Steven and Richard continue working together, there’s no doubt that Richard will continue to support and inspire Steven. Richard is an excellent role model for everyone here at Anthesis. His willingness to go above and beyond to help someone in need is admirable. Thank you, Richard, for your dedication to maintaining Anthesis’ facilities and empowering participants!