James Covan

As Site Coordinator for Showers of Blessing, I supervise employees and volunteers, tend to guests, and manage logistical matters for a mobile shower unit that serves the unhoused population of the greater Santa Barbara area on a weekly basis. We visit various locations throughout the area, and hold sites where our unhoused neighbors can shower and connect with available services. As Showers of Blessing operates under flexible and unpredictable circumstances, an easily summarized description of job responsibilities isn't consistent with how sites operate. Sites are contingent on the preferences of the locations that host us, along with the needs and duties of the service providers that work alongside us. The generalities of what this entails are usually centered around maintaining a peaceful environment, and coordinating an efficient use of the shower facilities to comply with the schedules of the sites that host us, and the considerations that factor into our capacity to serve as many guests as possible with as little inconvenience as possible.

There are secondary considerations when it comes to guests, as often their lives are filled with other challenges. The extent and approach we take to those challenges are often determined on an individual basis, as the scope of what we can offer, and individual needs are dependent on many factors.

ASK Foods is a production facility that makes prepared meals for distribution at grocery stores throughout the mid-Atlantic. My department was the kitchen, where the cooking of large quantities of pasta and vegetables was our responsibility. My personal responsibilities were usually in keeping track of how many ingredients were needed, how many we had, how many batches were done, how many more batches were needed, making sure that the ingredients were measured correctly, and moving raw and finished products throughout the facility.

At Hideaways Pizza, the Pizza line would rotate stations based on employee skill/ experience, as well as customer traffic. The 3 stations were: dough, toppings, and oven. I was proficient in all 3, so generally dough or oven, as they are the most critical. I was also in charge of most prep work on my scheduled shifts. Cleaning was a responsibility shared among all scheduled kitchen staff.

Preparing tables for seating. Attending to guests requests.

The Makana Terrace at the St. Regis in Princeville is a very large dining room. One must work quickly and plan ahead to keep up. It starts with making the proper preparations in regards to cutlery and glassware, stocking incidental items like tea, coffee, and condiments. ensuring that you have access to the resources necessary to accomplish the necessary tasks. As a Hotel with over a dozen different restaurants, one must maintain awareness of the possible locations of any required items. One must also be sensitive to the sensibilities of guests, and maintain a demeanor that is professional, yet cordial.

The P. Hastings Corp. was a family owned business that managed a variety of local gas stations/ convenience stores in the central Pennsylvania area. As a cashier, it is your responsibility to maintain proper account of business transactions, preform proper closing procedures, and receive vendor orders.

But what you also do to serve your customer base is to treat people with respect and kindness. Whether or not it is an employee"s "responsibility" is subjective, but I know that employers appreciate it, and the customers do to.