After seven years at Rise, direct support professional Eleanor Thomas retired from in mid-May. She has supervised an employment team at Cummins in Fridley since 2020. Cummins and Rise teamed up to recognize her significant contributions and celebrate her retirement. We caught up with her to talk about her job and her plans for the future:

What are you looking forward to about retirement?

Eleanor: “Staying in my pajamas all day [laugh]. Just kidding! I’ll enjoy being home and being with my
husband. We have been waiting for my retirement and plan to travel to Florida and visit family during the winter. We are looking forward to spending some time together.”

Why did you choose Rise and what kept you coming to work every day?

Eleanor: “What kept me is the people. Management here listens to you, and I was heard. I didn’t always like what they had to say, and sometimes they weren’t always happy with me, but I was needed.”

What are you going to miss about coming to work every day?

Eleanor: “I’m going to miss the people. My group and I have fun. When they have problems, they come to me and I help solve them, on top of everything else being a supervisor requires. I have fun with them, and we enjoy each
other. I’m going to miss the family.”

What would you say to people who are considering this type of work?

Eleanor: “I would say do it. The first thing you need to do is treat people like they are your family. Think of how you would like your family to be treated and just treat them that way. That’s when you realize you have a great job.”

Favorite Inspiring Quote:

Eleanor: “Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.” -Margaret Cho