You don’t work at a place for 14 years unless you like it. At least, that’s how we at Melrose feel. Mike Thomas, our Maintenance Coordinator, has spent that amount of time keeping our grounds, community and residents thriving and happy – and we’re definitely the better for it. But we didn’t want you to just take our word for it. So we sat down with Mike to talk to him a little bit about why he’s been here for 14 years and what it is that keeps him around.
What’s your typical day at Melrose like?
There’s really no typical day here at Melrose. Some days I’m a garbage man, other days I’m a pothole filler, and then later on I’m a plumber, or an electrician or a painter. Really, it all depends on what needs to be done that day. I like that, though. It keeps things interesting and I’m never bored.
What do you like best about working here?
Really, I think one of my favorite parts is making people happy. I really enjoy talking to our residents, getting to know them as people and hearing their stories. I particularly like hearing old war stories and other military stuff. We have a lot of veterans who live here and their stories are fascinating. I learn a lot. A lot of our residents have had pretty interesting lives, and it’s pretty cool to be able to help them out and make their stay here as comfortable as possible.
Why have you stayed at Melrose as long as you have?
It’s a great place to work. Everyone here really feels like family and they care about each other on a personal level. It kind of is my home away from home. I keep busy, which I like, but it’s also got a great laid-back feel for both the staff and residents. The staff stays busy with taking care of the place and the people, and the residents are always busy with activities and events and other fun stuff to do.
What’s one of your favorite memories about your time at Melrose?
The events here are always fun, for the staff as well as for the residents. It really does make it feel like a big family. One of my favorite events we did was for our 15th anniversary party. We held a County Fair in the parking lot, and everyone just had a lot of fun. One of our staff members brought her son’s 4-H calf, which was really nice.
What you would you like potential residents to know about Melrose?
It’s a small, warm community and the staff really cares about the residents. There’s a lot more interaction here between the staff and residents than you would get at some of the bigger places. I think that’s a good thing, because it allows you to form real relationships with each other, and that makes the residents feel more comfortable and secure.
Mike is one of several staff members who have been with Melrose for over a decade. That says a lot about our community and the way the business is run. We hope you’ll swing by and take an opportunity to visit him and say hi (and say hi to all of us here at Melrose).