Meet and Greet: Rosie Bland
Corinn Johnson, B.S

Who is Rosie Bland?
Rosie is originally from Courtland, MS, where she lived until pretty recently. Last year she moved to what she describes as a beautiful house here in Senatobia so that she could be closer to her ‘second home'- The Baddour Cen-ter. Smiling, she affectionately talks about her family, which consists of her two daughters and two grandsons, ages 8 and 4. One of her daughters still lives in Courtland with Rosie's grandsons. The other daughter currently lives in Tunica, MS. Rosie described missing her grand-sons because she has always had them close by, but notes that her job was worth the move.

What does she enjoy doing in her spare time?
Rosie laughed when she was asked this ques-tion. She loves to read, but finds little spare time to do so anymore. In general, she spends her weekends at church or getting prepared for the upcoming week. When she does have time to herself, she tries to rest and relax.

What exactly does Rosie do?
When asked to describe her job, Rosie says that she is a supervisor, teacher, coach, nurse, and mother. She supervises residents who work in Welcome Kit- Complex 1. In Complex 1 they con-tract out of Fed Ex. This entails a lot of differ-ent projects and activities. Residents print out orders; rip, stamp and match labels; put new orders together; and complete a variety of other tasks. However, the job is about so much more than getting the contracts completed. What-ever the residents need, they (she and her fellow supervisors) do. Her job is demanding, but she loves it.

How did Rosie come to The Baddour Center?
Rosie was introduced to The Baddour Center eight years ago by her friend Cora Ellis. If that name sounds familiar, it is because Cora has been a Baddour Center employee for quite a while. At that time, she was one of the Gar-den Center staffers. Rosie had never heard of The Baddour Center, but she knew Cora loved her job and thought it was worth a try. Apparently it was a good fit, because after a couple of months of running the Garden Center's cash register, she became a part-time staff member in the Vocational Division, helping the residents complete Miscellaneous Packaging jobs in Complex 2. The following September, Rosie officially moved into her current full time position in Complex 1. Earlier this year, her old pal Cora joined her there, so it seems they are meant to work together! On September 11, 2001, Rosie celebrated her first anniversary of full time employment with The Baddour Center as the nation mourned a tragedy. As you can imagine, her anniversaries are bittersweet.

Why does Rosie like her job?
According to Rosie, the best part about her job is that she is able to be there for the residents. Her excitement was evident as she talked about her role in helping them make their dreams for themselves come true. With Person-Centered Planning in place, some of the residents have announced their dreams of working in the com-munity. If that is what the future holds for them, Rosie will do whatever she can to help prepare them to do so. This ability to see the residents grow and progress is important to her, and it is why she says this job is so much more fulfilling than her previous jobs. "When I come here everyday I just feel like I'm making a differ-ence." I think the residents would agree. She truly is.