Supervisor builds relationships, pride through home improvement

By Gina M. Scherffius

Trina Wilson, a home supervisor for ARI II/ResCare Stark County in Ohio, recently finished decorating a group home using warm reds and tans for the walls and adding new wall accessories. Residents Marletta and Brian (on the couch) and Tyrone (in the kitchen) enjoy their newly decorated home.

(Canton, OH) At ARI II/ResCare of Stark County, visitors remark on how well the group homes are decorated and how cozy and warm they seem. The credit for that homey feel goes to the home supervisors, who oversee decorating and obtaining furniture, carpets and other such items.

However, the star decorator of the area is Trina Wilson, supervisor at the home on 33rd Street and a five-year veteran of ResCare. Ms. Wilson took a couple of years to redecorate the whole house, a residence for eight adults.

"She even decorated the laundry room," reported Jody Strickling, social worker. "She does hand stenciling, so she stenciled a clothesline around the laundry room and put up a decorative clothesline with little clothes pins."

People tend to show more respect and appreciation for an attractive environment, Ms. Wilson said. The projects also give the folks at the home a sense of ownership.

"Working on bigger projects brings staff, clients and managers closer together and builds better relationships," she said. "Everyone has input, whether it is ideas, constructive criticism, or just deciding where to put the decorations. Everyone has pride in the completed work."

While all of the folks in the home are involved in the projects, Ms. Wilson usually takes a leadership role in their development.

"Trina oversees and comes up with the ideas for a lot of the bigger projects. She is very creative," Ms. Strickling said.

Two more group homes share the same large lot with the 33rd Street home. Ms. Wilson and another home manager, Teresa Tyson, have redecorated two main rooms in the other two homes.

"The results are really great, with bold bright colors and hand stenciling that took a lot of hard work," Ms. Strickling said. "I really work with wonderful people here in Ohio. Trina is just one of them!"