Let me introduce myself. My name is Kateri Mueller. I am a former staff member of HCO. I worked in residential programs for 15 years. While at HCO during those years, I so enjoyed the time I spent with individuals and staff, many of whom are good friends still. Figuring out positive ways to advocate for the individuals I worked with was a priority for me during my time with HCO, and I have many good memories of the outings that occurred because of that. Truck stop and cemetery visits, dining out, attending weddings, even flying with a couple of our folks. Time spent on community outings, crafting, decorating, cooking, relaxing, laughing, and chatting together all made for interesting and memorable time spent together. I truly enjoyed my time with the folks I worked with.
My retirement was in the fall of 2019. Good timing, right? COVID hit shortly thereafter. I have many interests and hobbies, traveling being one of them. Unfortunately, the pandemic put a stop to that. I was able to continue my interest in gardening, canning, reading, and relaxing! I found myself to be very good at spending time at home.
Having many friends and groups of pals, and lots of family close by, I do entertain and get together with my friends and family quite often. However, one cold fall day a few weeks ago I was thinking it was perhaps time to figure out something more. Lo and behold, the very next morning an email came through from HCO to a few of us that had retired from HCO. They were looking for a part-time receptionist. And yes, someone that had previous experience would be nice: someone that knew the mission of HCO, appreciated the involvement needed, and was familiar with the agency. Well, I jumped right on that. Next thing you know, here I am back in the saddle again. I so appreciate being given the chance to again be affiliated with HCO. It is great to see and catch up with many of the people I knew from my past work here. And new faces! It is good to hear what has been going on and how things are now that we are a few years into the pandemic. So, I want to thank the team here that put me back at HCO. It has already been so satisfying to catch up with those that I used to be in contact with!
