People of Rochester - Shawn

I met Shawn on the boardwalk of the Turning Point Park trail, near Charlotte. He was fishing in the Genesee River. He catches bass, catfish, turtles and tosses them back. He fishes to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. “I work all week, and then I just wanna come out and relax,” he said.

Shawn said the pandemic has had a significant effect on work. He is a home health aide and he got vaccinated weeks ago. He’s been working with two people for the past four or five years. He said when you start, you might be bouncing around, but people get used to you, families get used to you, and then they want you to be their regular caretaker.

He started by taking care of his dad when his father’s health was declining. Shawn took care of his father for three years, until his father passed away. Once he got used to taking care of his dad, he said, he felt ready to do it for anybody. He had found his ideal job.