Mare Martell, Grand Rapids, MI, has been doing paid DCW work for 3 years and says it makes her “blissfully happy” to be able to serve others. “I would do it for free, however, free does not pay bills.” She loves animals, has a menagerie of pets including a house chicken, and is an artist and published author.
Mare’s philosophy is “Love thy neighbor” in all situations, even when value systems are wildly different. The job requires a DCW to be non-judgmental. She once had a client who often used the “N” word, which was difficult for her to accept. She decided to set it aside and say, “If he want’s to be that way, that’s him, and I can’t say ‘I love you’ if I’m judging that. When you’re going into somebody’s home, you can’t make them feel less than human…whether I agree [with him] or not he’s still a human, and he’s still struggling.”
Like many DCWs, Mare has trouble making ends meet in part due to part-time split hours, some that require driving long distances. “It is intense and exhausting…to go to one client in the morning and one in the evening, and sometimes have a third shift.” A lack of guaranteed hours related to changes in client health or DCW injuries compounds the situation. Mare recently injured her shoulder while transferring a client so is currently not able to work as a DCW.