We just completed another historic and successful step forward for the movement to empower direct care workers and to fix our broken long-term care system!
It is clear that direct care workers want to have their voices heard to improve the profession and the quality of care and services. It was fitting that direct care workers from 12 states met at a place whose motto is: May the Roots Thrive! The 25 leaders from 12 states gathered at the DeKoven Center are the roots of our growing movement! I have no doubt that each and every one of the attendees will ensure that the long-term care care-gap is avoided and direct care workers are empowered by applying the powerful tools we all learned at our five day training program.
The events I witnessed at the Voices Institute Inaugural class reminded me of the gracious, generous and powerful nature of direct care workers and their ability to meet any challenge and thrive: flexibility, ability to solve problems, address crisis situations, balance challenging schedules are the stuff that the daily care-giving experience is made of. And so, all the Voices Institutes leaders gathered and we learned speech making, fundraising, organizational and self empowerment strategies and we all thrived in the intense and challenging environment Bob Hudek designed for us.
Thank you, Bob Hudek, for locating the perfect learning environment and for designing a curriculum that gave us comfort, hope and thought us powerful tools that along with Vera’s empowerment tools will lead us to success.
Some of the things I heard at the inaugural class of the Voices Institute will stay with me forever. Words like “imagine a day without direct care workers” powerfully convey the role of direct care work in keeping life functioning for millions of people all over this country. Another theme was that this week “changed my life.”
For the Direct Care Alliance, it means that we do indeed have a constituency and that our strategy to focus on direct care workers as leaders that should, can and will lead in the reform of long-term care to improve their profession is the right strategy!
I am very grateful and honored to have had the opportunity of a lifetime and witness and hear the powerful stories of so many unique individuals. The class spoke so fluently and persuasively about the passion for the work of caring and the hope to receive the dignity and respect the direct care profession deserves. I thank everyone for the courage to share their story and for staying through and thriving in what was, by design, a challenging curriculum!
We will move forward together with the Direct Care Alliance and grow and support you as you express your voice and build powerful alliances to ensure direct care workers are respected and honored for the essential role and contributions you make to the qualify of life and community. Thank you and may the roots of the Voices Institute and the leaders from this inaugural class thrive!
Leonila Vega, Esq.,
Executive Director
Direct Care Alliance
I am one of those who attended. I can tell you my life is forever changed. I no longer listen to that voice in my head that says I am not a leader, because thanks to this training I know that I am a capable women who is a leader. Thank you to my buddy who made me realize I needed to redefine what I think a leader is. I found my voice also last week. I guess it was always there I just figured out how to use it. I would recommmend this training to anyone who want to become a leader. You will leave an empowered person if you give it your all.
As I said at graduation we arrived a bunch of strangers and when it was time to leave I felt like Iwas leaving my family. Thank you to everyone you heloed me become a better me. Tracy
Thank you, Leonila, for your inspiring message of empowerment. Although I did not attend, I feel so fortunate to know dedicated grassroots organizers like you, Roy, and Vera. I hope to learn from you organizational efforts and use them to work in my own community at home in LA. Thank you for leading us!
I want to congratulate every powerful, intelligent and couragous advocate of the direct care workforce for going through this important training. By stepping up your leadership will encourage other direct care worker’s that they can do it as well. No longer are we “just a cna, pca or whatever other title the government has decided to give us”. We are dedicated professional’s who can sit at the table with everyone else and help solve the problems of our healthcare. Thank you DCA for spearheading this important movement.