Employment Highlights

Daniel Mwangi
Nomination By:LuAnn Thielges & Cheri Bothun

Being committed and ready to support is something Daniel Mwangi does so well. Daniel has never been known to sit, instead he is involved and ready to lend a hand to anyone who needs it. Being committed means to be involved and making sure you like listening, watching and reacting to what is going on in your surroundings. Daniel works at two homes that are very different from each other. One home supports individuals with mental health issues, and the other has four individuals with developmental disabilities. He has to wear so many different hats and he does it with such ease. Daniel is present and committed every time he works. He makes sure he listens to what is going on in the lives of the people he supports. One lady he supports is turning 70 and suffers from mental health issues. Staff remark that when you see him talk to her it brings a smile to your face. With her permission, he will sit on the arm rest of her chair and they just talk. When she is upset he will crouch down in front of her chair at eye level and talk with her to find out why she is upset, and if she tells him to back off he respects her wishes. With every employment opportunity there are tasks that people dislike. Not Daniel! If it needs to be done, he will do it. Two employees were talking one time about how dirty the windows were getting and they needed to schedule a time to get them cleaned inside and out. All of sudden they turn around and Daniel is outside cleaning the windows. They asked him what he was doing and he said, “You just said the windows are dirty and needed to be cleaned, so I am cleaning them.” Daniel’s attitude is “why wait”? With the recent financial challenges brought on by the cuts, each home was asked to look closely at their budget and find ways they could save without affecting the individuals’ lives. Daniel took this assignment seriously and gave it a lot of thought. He not only thought about ways the sites could pinch some pennies, but he is also working on getting his degree in business so he came up with some ideas for the entire company. He truly invests himself in whatever he is asked to do. Daniel is a great role model for other direct support professionals. He is hard working and takes his job seriously. He is not afraid to share his opinion or ideas and he is also not afraid to jump in and get his hands dirty. He truly understands the definition of the word “commitment”.