YOU cannot wipe the smile from Melissa Adam’s face when she enters the Millicent National Trust Living History Museum for a day of work.
In fact, the 24-year-old enjoys working at the museum so much she often volunteers outside of her rostered hours.
Melissa lives with an intellectual disability and in the past has found it difficult to find regular work that is both challenging and rewarding.
However, this changed when the Millicent resident connected with WISE Employment – an agency which sources work for people living with disabilities – and was given the opportunity to work with the local museum.
Millicent Museum supervisor and chairman Barry Long said he was approached by the agency to hire Melissa on a six-month term, however he decided to extend her employment as she had become an integral part of the team.
“Melissa has done countless things since working at the museum,” he said.
“She has been working under my supervision and is quite keen to jump in and have a crack at anything.
“She has always said if at any stage her work here stops, she would like to carry on as a volunteer.
“The program finished up a month ago and while I did not want to commit to a year or something, I did want to keep her on.”
Melissa agreed with Barry, adding the work at the museum was not about the money she was earning, but more about the skills she had learnt and friendships she had made.
“It’s not about the money,” she said.
“When they told me I only had six months, I said I did not want to stop working here because half of the workers have said I am helpful.
“They’re all my friends.
“I would like to have a job in anything because they love when I come in with a smile on my face.”
Barry added watching Melissa walk in with a smile was the “best part” and said her positive influence had been a standout quality.
“When she arrives each day, she’s so happy and when you have a lot of long-term unemployed workers, it really changes the whole atmosphere,” he said.
“It shows everyone that you can be really happy about the simple things in life – you have got food on the table, a place to sleep at night and a place to come to work – it really changes their mindset.”
As part of her employment at the museum, Melissa works twice a week for four hours a day and mainly completes maintenance and restoration work.
“I have fixed stuff … someone said the drill was not working so I pulled it apart and got it going again,” she said.
“We did guttering, we fixed cables with the drainage display and in the workshop and we did soldering.
“I even learnt how to put down skirting boards in the old school.
“Jeff said nobody could pull this piece of wood off while we were skirting.
“I said if you tap the wood a little bit and then pull it, it will come off and he did it and it did – I knew what to do.
“But my favourite thing to do is demolish things, I like everything about demolishing.”
Melissa also completed an assessment task early on in her employment, which decided her hourly rate.
As part of the assessment, she was given the task of keeping the workshop tidy.
She worked alongside another employee so assessors could compare the abilities of an able bodied person to her performance.
While she was assessed – and “did really well” – Barry said the program was more community focused.
“It’s more of a community thing and it is good because it gets Melissa out of the house,” he said.
“I personally – as the chairman of the museum – encourage people that do not think they can to come down here and give it a go.
“Melissa has been very helpful, she chats a lot and she never forgets anything – if I need to remember something I just tell her because I know she will not forget.
“We have also had a couple of other people with disabilities volunteer up here.
“It really is a fun place.”
