Adolfo Silva

Maintenance Worker II

At what moment did you know DISH was for you?

I started working with the company John Stewart 5 years before DISH came in. So I’ve actually been here at the Star for 20 years. I have worked as a janitor and then after, as a maintenance worker. I remember thinking the salary at DISH was a bit better than John Stewart. I have never had problems with other coworkers. I respect people and they respect me back. I treat everyone equally, no matter their skin color, nationality, ethnicity, and so on. There is a lot of diversity at the Star between residents and DISH staff. Hello to everyone!

Why did you stay over the years or what is the most gratifying part of your job?

In the first place, I like my job because it’s not routine. One must take initiative in order to solve any problem. One must use their head a little to repair things. When I’m finishing up work and a resident tells me ‘Good job Adolfo’ it makes me happy to know the resident is satisfied with the work I’m doing. I wanted the residents to feel comfortable in their home and it’s my responsibility to maintain it. I come to repair whatever is broken and try to do it as quickly as possible.

I feel comfortable and have never felt like I have been poorly treated by the team. I’m very happy with the company. If I hadn’t liked it, I would have left!

Is there anything you'd like to share about your experience at DISH?

In this job, what I’ve learned is patience. This job requires patience and I used to be very impatient. I would argue when I was young and never knew how to work on that. But after working many years here, it has given me a lot of patience. I try to coexist with the residents who struggle with illnesses and understand that they have mental issues and some that wrestle with addiction. In the end, we’re all human beings. We have to try to understand one another. DISH has trained us on how to prepare ourselves and how to treat residents in dangerous situations. DISH has always worked as a team and offered ways to find solutions to difficult situations we at times find ourselves in.