Quiana Ellis

Describe your position as a resident support associate.
I am one of the staff at Mary’s Home responsible for helping residents with their daily needs. I’m on call to help them, either by sitting and talking, getting ice to make sure they are comfortable, or drying the shower floor so that they don’t slip. I prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. I make sure the facility is safe and clean. Sometimes it is as simple as sitting and watching TV together and asking if there is anything that I can help them with toward their goals of being at Mary’s Home.

What is your superpower?
My strength is to be nurturing. I am at heart a mother. I have three kids, one with a disability. They are all boys: 22, 16 and 11. Raising them has made me a chill person. My nature is to be giving and patient.

What do you think other people should know about Mary’s Home?
Mary’s Home is a safe place for people coming off the street to stay. All the women are recovering from a medical condition. They are human, they just fell on a hard time. One resident loves jewelry and reminds me of my mother. Another is so sweet and a breeze to work with. I admire that they are all working toward their own personal goals.

How has working here changed you?
Working at Mary’s Home has made me more humble. Your life can change with the blink of an eye. I’ve seen with these women that one day you can have a home, and then the next, you don’t have a place to live. It makes me appreciate all that I have and my support network.