Cathy Creevey of Philadelphia has been a home health aide for twenty years and knows that it takes a big heart and a lot of compassion to do the job. Cathy routinely works more than 50 hours per week; on Fridays, she works from 7am until 8pm, then wakes up again to take care of her Saturday client at 7:30am. “There are so many times that I wake up on Saturday and want to call out because I’m tired. But I can’t, because I know my clients need me.”

Cathy is invaluable to the individuals she serves and to their families. For example, her client John M. was known to be a difficult case to staff due to his mental disability, his gruff nature, and his lack of personal hygiene. Cathy was able to change all that. She now has him in a regular routine and his only living family member—cousin, Louise R.—has commented on how much of a difference Cathy has made in his life. “He is much better fed, he is clean, groomed, and happy. I couldn’t say enough about Cathy. I don’t know how much she makes, but all I can say is that she deserves so much more. She makes a difference in so many people’s lives.”

For John's recent 67th birthday, he was excited by the idea of having a party and Cathy made that happen. John has no living immediate family, but Cathy was able to rally the troops and secure attendees like John’s Cousin Louise R. and John’s plumber and gardener. Cathy’s husband brought pizza and cake. Despite this small group, John was so excited to be having a party and his birthday was even celebrated with a segment on the local news!