Once a month with his guitar in tow, Sean travels to EmployAbility for his 1:00 pm show. Staff call it “the party of the month.” Sean began volunteering at local nursing homes over 20 years ago and says for him, volunteering is like breakfast; it’s the most necessary and important part of the day.
Sean volunteers in EmployAbility’s Day Habilitation, playing the guitar and singing for the 48 individuals in the program. Our Day Habilitation program serves adults with moderate to severe cognitive and physical disabilities. For many adults with the significant disabilities, day to day interaction is often limited, so Sean’s live performances are the highlight of our individuals’ afternoons.
“A long time ago, I was talking to God and I told Him I wanted to use music as my way of giving back to the community… Apparently, He said yes!” Sean plays everything from “Proud Mary” to “Jingle Bells.” He recalls a time where he played “Georgia on My Mind” and was very emotional. “I melt when they sing along,” he says. When asked where he gets the motivation to faithfully and constantly volunteer, he said,
“Somebody saw something in me that was beneficial to the world, and I feel the same way about the individuals in Day Habilitation.”
Humble about his talents, he makes a point to say he believes his music is the way he helps take care of our individuals. The musical portion of EmployAbility’s Day Habilitation program is comforting and is something they look forward to.
Sean says that he is amazed by EmployAbility’s Day Habilitation staff and all of the hard work they put into making sure the individuals have the best days possible. Sean’s positive attitude is infectious and his service continues to impact the lives of our folks and our staff tremendously. “Jesus had a little bread and a little fish, and that taught me to take what I have, feed people, and do good. My music is my bread and fish.”
