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Valerie Comes to Work Ready Every Day
It takes fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination to assemble the rotators that Navistar will place in one of their International trucks. It takes a quick worker like Valerie Peacock to make 336 rotators and layer them carefully in a large tray.
Work is important to Valerie. She started her job at Aspire Industries 28 years ago, when she was 21, and she has been a positive, enthusiastic employee since the beginning. Aspire Industries staff and co-workers like having her as part of the work team.
“Valerie comes to her job ready to work and with a smile on her face every day,” says Theodora Harris, vocational trainer at Aspire Industries. “She works consistently and at a fast pace. She’s pleasant and fun to be around. Everyone here loves her.”
Like her coworkers, Valerie wants to keep busy all day at the workshop. While she often assembles rotators for Aspire’s partner Navistar, she also excels on other jobs. For example, Valerie recently helped to sort items and fill welcome bags for 2,500 new Navistar employees moving to the Chicagoland area.
Asked what she likes about working, Valerie grins and, without hesitation, says, “I like to make money.”
When she gets her paycheck, Valerie might spend some money at the dollar store or treat herself to her favorite perfume. She likes going to the movies, swimming and taking dance classes. She once took belly-dancing lessons and doesn’t mind showing off her talent. She enjoys spending time out in the community with her housemates and the staff from the Aspire group home where she lives.
“Valerie does well in the community,” says Glenda Wesley, house manager of the Aspire community home in La Grange. “She is always polite to everyone.”
Valerie moved into the Aspire home six years ago. Prior to that, she had lived with her mother, Janice Peacock, in Forest Park. After Janice lost her husband and suffered a stroke, it became too difficult for her to care for her daughter. Valerie was able to make the move right away.
“It was an adjustment for Valerie that took a while, especially since she was sad after her father passed away,” says Janice. “But she now refers to the La Grange house as her home and my house as a place to visit.”
Valerie has her own bedroom. She keeps it immaculately clean and neat. She helps with dusting, vacuuming and other chores around the house.
During their weekend visits, Valerie tells her mother about her home, work and her social life. She might mention a particular guy, but if her mother teases her about it, Valerie is quick to explain, “Mom, he’s not a boyfriend, he’s just a friend.”
Whether Valerie is staying at her mother’s house or in her Aspire home, her favorite activity is to watch television and to play movies on her DVD player. She has seen her favorite movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, so many times her mother recently replaced a worn-out copy.
“I love the part about the ‘bundt cake,’” says Valerie, smiling and laughing.
