Senior Independent and Assisted Living Community Offers Rewarding Long-term Careers

Saint Louis Park, Minnesota -

St. Louis Park, MN based Sholom, an independent and assisted living housing community for seniors, is reflecting on the challenges of the past year and the immense dedication their staff has displayed. Sholom has always stood for commitment and service, and the organization is proud to acknowledge that many of their strengths are due to the people who have spent long careers fulfilling this mission. They are also searching for people who can fill open positions with a similar aptitude (such as a new Director of Home Care Services in St. Louis Park).

Earlier this summer, Sholom Learning and Development Specialist Jim McDonald reportedly had an epiphany while leading an annual in-service training session. Having spent nearly four decades working with seniors in Sholom, McDonald had been exposed to a wide spectrum of humanity and its strengths, and he came to realize that much of this was represented in the people who work with him every day.

While he has conducted hundreds of training sessions, McDonald believes that this one may have touched him differently because it occurred during a difficult year. “We’re living through a pandemic, and our community has depended on us now more than ever before,” McDonald recounts, “and I realized there is something truly special in this room. The people who surrounded me, they were all here because they serve, because they live in the spirit of Sholom, and because they care about this special community. This day just said something about Sholom because of the spirit found in this incredible longevity.”

He found that his team that day represented more than 260 years of combined service. This included Rachel Bowman (NAR/Care Specialist) with 45 years, Wendy Hedberg (NAR/Care Specialist) with 44 years, Fonda Jones (NAR/Care Specialist) with 35 years, Gregorio Moreno (Cook) with 26 years, John Shrake (PT) with 17 years, Ruth Zalanga (HHA) with 12 years, Khin (Cook) with 11 years, Melissa Kabylnick (EVS) with 10 years, Carlos Lopez, (IT) with 9 years, Chris Frantz (PT) with 3 years and McDonald himself with 38 years. Sholom is also looking to add to their already amazing team by adding someone for the position of Culinary Services Manager at our skilled nursing care center in St. Louis Park.

While each of the 11 people in the group had gathered there for a simple training session, they represented an average of more than 23 years of dedication and service. Working in a pandemic is not an easy task by any means, and McDonald commends his team for pushing through, especially given that they work primarily with guests who come from a demographic that is more vulnerable to its harsh effects.

“It was just a simple moment for me,” he says, “but in that moment it hit me that we’ve all worked really hard this past year, and it has been tough for everyone. But these employees see and feel something bigger, and they know the difference they can make in the lives of our community members. They come from different areas of expertise, but they work together to make a truly unique community.” Sholom itself has provided more than a century of service to the community, giving seniors from all walks of a life the chance to live in a welcoming community in which they receive care and compassion without compromise.

He refers to an old adage: when the moment strikes, take the time to savor the moment. Jim McDonald says he savored the moment, and he invites everyone at Sholom to do the same.

Those who believe they too can deliver the kind of exemplary service Sholom’s team demonstrates are welcome to contact their office to learn more about available positions or visit the careers page at https://www.sholom.com/careers/. Interested parties are also welcome to contact Jamie Maddeaux, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Sholom, for further details.