Interview with Community House Member Josh
“It’s the highlight of my week, I come three days a week now. I work in the kitchen, and at the front desk. I also have plenty of time to hang out with people, to socialize. This is truly the highlight of my week.”
Josh
Interview by Eliot C. from the February 2021 Newsletter
Eliot: Josh, you’re on!
Eliot: How long have you been coming here?
Josh: uh, Community House, almost 3 years.
E: And what brought you here? I mean, there are other places a
person might go?
J: Well, I was at Spring Manor almost 4 years, and three years ago
they started having me come here, and I enjoy coming to see my
friends, and I like having lunch here, a good lunch, and we’re back
to having hot meals here. That’s the number one thing I like, is
being with my friends.
E: Okay, friendship, community.
J: That’s it, that’s exactly it.
E: Alright, did it take some getting adjusted to? What was your first
impression?
J: Well, I started coming at Poplar St. I enjoyed it there. We always
had sandwiches, those weren’t bad, but I like this location better:
it’s spacious, we have better food, we have a patio out back, it’s a
nicer situation than when I first started coming.
E: So you have no memories of CH before Poplar?
J: Well, when they use to have it here at this location years ago, I
only came for doctors appointments, I never came to hang out, I
never came to socialize..
E: So it’s really become a much more…is it an important part of
your day?
J: It is. It’s the highlight of my week, I come three days a week
now. I work in the kitchen, and at the front desk. I also have
plenty of time to hang out with people, to socialize. This is truly
the highlight of my week.
E: Well, I know you personally cheer me up.
J: Thanks.
E: What’s your best memory, or most significant memory, that you
would like to share?
J: I don’t really have any one memory, there’s lots of good
memories. I have played chess here a lot. Backgammon too. Not so
much lately because of the distancing. I would say the number
one thing is just hanging out with my friends playing chess or
backgammon.
Eliot: Did I ask you about your favorite group?
Josh: My favorite group I would imagine was during Halloween
when we carved pumpkins. Then we have Christmas parties,
decorating the Christmas tree and doing those types of things. I’ve
been on the walking group at Poplar once or twice, on my scooter,
of course.
E: How about the Mens’ group at the Climbing Place?
J: I did that 4 or 5 times at Poplar, but the reason I didn’t go more
often was because it was later in the day, and I would leave after
1:00, and it was starting at 2 pm. I enjoyed that group. Jake was
running it at the time.
E: Do you hope to make this a continuing part of your life?
J: Yes, I do. As far as I can see I would like to keep coming here in
the future. Because of the virus, we can only have so many people
here every day, that’s why they cut me back, from four days a
week to three. I would like to get back to four days a week. I
spend Wednesdays with my family. My Mom and stepdad take me
out to eat on Wednesday, and we watch movies at their house.
Just to let you know: I cook a lot at home. So I volunteer to cook
here. Taylor and I are going to make some really good chicken
chow mein soon. I hope everybody likes it. I brought her the
recipe out of my book. There are soft egg noodles with sauce.
With garlic, green onions, cabbage, whatever.
E: Very good! Thank you Josh. I didn’t have to pull the words out
of you at all! Just kidding!
