A second career choice makes a difference in the lives of families

Sandra Salas works two jobs. Not to make ends meet. Not to change careers.

She has two jobs because she wanted to make a difference.

A native of Peru and an architect in her home country, Sandra came to the U.S. six years ago and later moved to Muscatine from California in 2005.

After accepting a full-time position at All-Steel as a design application specialist for office environments and settling into eastern Iowa, she found herself with free time to spare— time she and her husband would have normally spent with extended family back west.

Her heart and her faith told her to make that time mean something.

"Even though I'm active in my church, I wanted to do something more with my free time," said Sandra. "I felt I should be giving my help to contribute to a particular life."

And so when a woman at her church, First United Pentecostal in Muscatine, suggested Sandra might enjoy a part-time job at Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI), Sandra took her up on it. A former employee of LSI, the church member told her about LSI's services for people with disabilities program.

Sandra started working as an LSI program assistant last September and since then she has assisted two children who each have disabilities. She currently spends a few hours every week with one young girl. Sandra provides supported community living services to help with goals, such as socialization or self-help skills.

LSI offers supported community living in an individual's home or apartment for up to 24 hours a day. LSI also has certified respite providers who can give families a break from the daily demands of caring for a person with a disability.

Sandra, whose native language is Spanish, is invaluable to one of her families who speaks Spanish. In one instance, she helped provide support by being a liaison between the family and their doctor.

Having no children of her own, Sandra took a big leap to work with children with disabilities.

"It's very different than what I do now," Sandra said. "There were challenges I was never prepared for, but with time I learned to adjust."

Any challenges are worth it though because of the children she is helping.

"It is so rewarding to talk to them, to see their faces," she said. "They say the cutest small words that mean a lot to me."

Words like "best friend," which is how one boy happily introduced her to his father.

"I dropped one off at his house, and he went out of the car and was saying 'Dad, Dad, Dad, this is Sandy, my best friend," Salas said. "That made my whole week, my month, my year."

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