Rolla Presbyterian Manor
MARCH 2023
March is National Social Work Month: Meet our social work designee, Valerie Eades It’s National Social Work Month and we couldn’t be luckier to have Valerie Eades working here at Rolla Presbyterian Manor!
Saint Patrick’s Day in History (FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS) St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish and IrishAmerican holiday commemorating the death, as legend has it, of Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17, circa 492. It is also the occasion, in many American cities, for celebrating Irish heritage with a parade. Among the most renowned of these festival traditions are the New York City parade, which officially dates to March 17, 1766 (an unofficial march was held in 1762); the Boston parade, which may date as far back as 1775; and the Savannah, Georgia parade, 1824.
Valerie Eades
Valerie says she didn’t plan a career in social work. In fact, it was the furthest thing from her mind at one point in her life.
When St. Patrick’s Cathedral was completed in New York City in 1879, the parade was extended up Fifth Avenue in order to allow the archbishop and clergy to review the festivities while standing in front of the church. The Irish presence in America increased dramatically in the 1840s as a consequence of Ireland’s potato famine of 1845-49, which left more than a million people dead from starvation and disease. Most of the Irish who immigrated to the U.S. during this period arrived with
St. Patrick – continued on page 3
“I spent a lot of years raising my family and then did factory work,” she recalled. “It wasn’t until I learned about Presbyterian Manors at a job fair that I even considered a career in healthcare.” That job fair led to a career as a CNA at Rolla Presbyterian Manor. “They paid for my CNA training and my CMT licensing,” she said. “Eventually, my fellow nursing coworkers urged me to pursue social work.” As the community’s social work designee, Eads says she does a bit of everything. “I love my job and I love my people,” she said. “Every day is different.” Let’s all offer a big ‘thank you’ to Valerie Eades for all she does to make Rolla Presbyterian Manor great! u
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