Sometimes, all it takes is an apple.

Twenty-five years ago, Melissa was working another job while teaching at a local college through its College for Enrichment Learning program. One of her students was supported by New Hope Community. Each week, the student would bring Melissa an apple, and on the third week, she set Melissa on the career journey of a lifetime, saying, “I want you to come work at New Hope. I want you to come work with me.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Melissa joined New Hope in September 2001, beginning a 25-year journey through a number of roles. She started as an Assistant House Manager, later becoming a House Manager, managing two homes, and serving as a Residential Coordinator and Day Program Coordinator before finding her way to the Training Department, where she now works as a Training Specialist.

“I didn’t know what the Training Department really did until I landed here,” Melissa said. “It’s the best of both worlds. I still get to be hands-on with staff, but also with the individuals that I know.”

What she loves most about training is seeing the “spark” in staff when they take what they’ve learned and build on it.

“I like to be the spark plug,” she said. “They’ll come by and say, ‘Hey, Melissa, I did this!’ That excitement, that’s what makes me happy.”

After 25 years, Melissa has seen New Hope change in many ways, but she says one thing has remained constant: the organization’s commitment to putting people first, not only the people we support, but staff as well.

And if you want to see just how much the people she has worked alongside mean to her, look no further than the wall of her office. Melissa has created her own “Wall of Fame,” a huge collage of photos celebrating important milestones, accomplishments, and fun memories. Each picture represents a person or moment worth remembering, creating a snapshot of the many relationships she’s built throughout her time at New Hope.

One of those relationships recently led to a particularly meaningful moment. Someone Melissa supported earlier in her career invited her to her commitment ceremony. After watching her grow and develop meaningful relationships over the years, being included in such an important milestone meant the world to Melissa.

“To see her get to this point…I think that’s the coolest thing ever,” she said. “And to have her invite me made my heart melt.”

It’s moments like these that have made her 25 years at New Hope so meaningful. Along the way, Melissa has learned so much, including advice from a former supervisor that she still lives by, ‘If it’s not on fire, prioritize and organize.’

That lesson has gone on to inspire her “10-minute rule.” When something needs to get done, Melissa takes a walk, thinks it through, and comes back with a basic plan, just a “skeleton” that she can build on. All in just 10 minutes!

For someone just beginning their career at New Hope, her advice is simple. Listen, support the people we serve to the best of your ability, and have fun.

“Put your ears on,” she said. “Learn to be that invisible hand working alongside the people we support. We’re not supposed to be doing things for them, but with them.”

And perhaps most importantly, she says, enjoy the work.

“Come to work and have fun,” Melissa said. “Laughter is infectious, so people need to learn how to spread that.”