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26 2 0 2 2 C A R E E R G U I D E • A Guide to Career Opportunities now, Reynolds said. Foundation President David Jordan has been working hard to boost wages and get new employees in the door. Once they come in, Reynolds said, it's hard to not be touched by the work, and the difference it makes in the lives of clients. "It's the kind of job where 5 o'clock comes and you don't just punch out and your job is done. A lot of our staff are on call 24/7," she said. "Unless people are committed, you're not going to get that." Outside of her day job, Reynolds also holds a part-time position at Seven Hills. A few days per month, she takes some clients out for the night so their families can get a break. They go to dinner, and then they do whatever they want, whether it's attending a Worcester Red Sox game, going bowling, or going to the movies, she said. Reynolds and her guys, as she calls these clients, have grown up together. They've been hanging out a few nights a month for about 30 years. One of the guys is in his 50s and lives with his mother, and another lives with his family in Spencer. It's getting hard, though. One of the guys is starting to lose his memory, Reynolds said. She's starting to see the sad parts of her calcified, 30-year relationships with these families. It's hard to see someone you've basically grown up with start to forget things, she said. But the tenacity of the bonds she's created with the guys has helped a bit, Reynolds said. "It's heartbreaking, but the familiarity they have with me keeps it at bay a little bit, as far as the memory loss," she said. Person said she's inspired every day by not only her coworkers but also the broader nonprofit community. Abby's focuses on housing and shelter, but you can't talk about that without also talking about things like food insecurity, which comes from another nonprofit, she said. "Once I started meeting people through other folks working in the field, I started expanding my network and realized there are some amazing programs that as a regu- lar person in the community, you might not know about until working in the nonprofit field," she said. The mission of Abby's is what Person said keeps her going, even through hard times. "I'm doing something for the greater good, instead of grinding away and getting a paycheck," she said. "That's what I would prefer. I would prefer flexible and more joy- ful experiences at work." n Human services pay Nationwide average Mass. average Greater Worcester Occupation Title annual salary annual salary average annual salary Rehabilliation counselor $44,740 $52,200 $48,860 Child, family and school social workers $54,880 $54,980 $50,160 Marriage and family therapist $59,660 $53,940 $60,880 Clergy $57,230 $64,190 $62,730 Probation officer $63,290 $83,980 $64,810 Healthcare social worker $62,310 $64,250 $65,950 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Abby's House in Worcester provides a variety of services, including shelter for women and children. H U M A N S E R V I C E S PHOTO | COURTESY OF ABBY'S HOUSE