#HumansofHumanim | Meet Sharon, a Direct Support Professional with Humanim’s Baltimore Day Program. Sharon has been at part of #TeamHumanim for 3 years.
An avid crafter, Sharon is responsible for coming up with crafts and activities participants in the Day Program, providing a safe environment and overseeing other staff. She also provides instruction in self-care skills, cooking meals and laundry, as well as assistance with daily personal tasks.
Her favorite part about her role is having individual conversations with the people she works with, discovering their hidden talents, what they like or dislike, what makes them smile, encouraging them and acting silly with them. She seeks to always respect people’s dignity and welfare and to promote self-determination.
After starting at Humanim working one-on-one with individuals in the Day Program, Sharon became the front desk receptionist at Humanim’s Baltimore office – taking a brief leave during the pandemic. Upon returning to the Day Program, she realized how much she missed working with individuals, and finds that her work as a DSP not only gives her meaning and purpose in life, but inspires and empowers her to reach her own goals.
Sharon says she finds great joy and satisfaction “knowing that I helped someone conquer a goal – even something as simple as writing their name or putting a puzzle together.” She loves to encourage folks, reminding them that they can do what they put their mind and heart into, and to do whatever it is that makes them happy.
Sharon is blessed with a talent for creating something out of nothing. For instance she can re-create an outfit just by looking at a photo of it. As a highly creative person she enjoys a variety of interests, including spending time with her grandchildren, traveling, arts and crafts, cooking, event catering and decorating, cake decorating, shopping, interior and fashion designing, sewing and going to concerts. Her favorite things to eat are seafood and a nice thick juicy steak. can organize effectively and has the gift of easily empathizing with and relating to people.
Her personal mottos are: “Believe You Can and You Are Halfway There” and “Work Smart, Not Hard.”