As the Director of Day & Employment Services, Bridgette Connolly spends her days connecting with the adults Eden supports. It’s her favorite part of the job.
“I love seeing the participants,” she said. “I like seeing them going out to work, volunteer placements, or community experiences. Especially our older participants, enjoying their senior years, ensuring they’re still able to do the activities that bring them joy. I like being a part of their journey.”
Bridgette has worked at Eden since 2004, when she was hired as a TA at the Eden School. “The building was a little hole in the wall, but there was truly a sense of community. I felt very comfortable there,” she said.
In 2019, she became the Director of Day & Employment Services, bringing the skills she built while working at the school to the adult side of the organization. “I was hoping that my years of teaching experience would be able to assist Adult Services,” she said.
A big perk of going from the school to Adult Services is seeing how much the individuals have grown during their time at Eden. “It’s nice when you’re here this long because you see the full progression,” she said. “There are many participants who first came to Eden who didn’t have many skills, and now they can do so much for themselves. I can’t help but feel proud.”
Bridgette helps deepen current community partnerships and secure new ones for participants, while working with staff to plan in-center activities and ensure all participants’ needs are met.
In the Adult Services field, many staff come from diverse backgrounds, but everyone is dedicated to the individuals they support. “They have different levels of schooling or different life experiences. Whatever their story is that brought them here, they are all here with the same purpose — to try to enrich the participants’ lives.”
When a participant learns new skills, secures a new job, or spends their day laughing with staff, everyone celebrates. “I think the most rewarding part of my job is seeing families appreciate the work that the staff are doing day in and day out; as well as staff feeling rewarded for when their participants are doing well and have successes,” she said. “I think that all encompasses making the nitty-gritty of my job worth it.”