To the Editor:

I graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in May of 2016, cum laude with a 3.66 GPA, receiving my bachelor’s in English and a minor in writing. I was hopeful that I would soon be able to find a career where I could put my degree to use, but I was woefully unprepared and had no leads toward that goal. To cover rent and help my family, I worked customer service jobs, which was a terrible fit for a neurodivergent person like myself who has anxiety attacks when in public settings. I thought it would only be for a short time, but seven years, three jobs, and one pandemic later, I was still stuck in retail limbo.

Then in October, through my caseworker at the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS), I was able to get a temporary job (three months) with UR Community Cares (UCC), working remotely as an administrative assistant. UCC is a nonprofit organization that assists older and disabled individuals across the state with basic tasks, transportation, and socialization. At first, I was given small tasks, like writing for the organization’s monthly newsletters and humor digests. But eventually, they had me writing press releases, grant applications, interviews, and even their annual report.

I was initially uncertain if I was right for this position, but soon I found, for the first time, I was happy to be at work. I was finally using my writing abilities in a professional setting like I’d wanted to all those years ago, and the fact that it was for a nonprofit that helped me made me feel like I was making a difference with my work. Plus being a remote position, I didn’t feel anywhere near the amount of anxiety I had with past jobs, and could do tasks at my own pace. While I was only contracted with UCC for just three months, it gave me much-needed experience and finally revitalized my drive to find my dream job, at a time when I had all but given up.

I recommend volunteering with UCC for anyone who likes to help people and wants to make a difference. Besides the job I had, you can help community members with small chores inside and outside their homes, help transport them to appointments and for errands, or just give them a friendly bit of much-needed socialization, either in-person or remotely. UCC will also be opening a Tech Center in 2024, which will need volunteer instructors to help teach seniors how to use their digital devices. I should know, I helped write the class materials!

If you’d like information on volunteering, visit urcommunitycares.org or call 860-430-4557. Also, if you’re part of an organization that would be interested in financially sponsoring me to continue working for UCC, I would greatly appreciate it. UCC doesn’t have funding to hire staff so a donation from a company would allow me to stay remote and make a big impact on assisting the executive director with administrative projects.

Joshua Measimer

Groton