It began as an off-the-cuff comment at the start of the pandemic.
“What if one of the ladies got sick?” a co-worker asked Vicki Richardson. “Hek,” she said, “I’d move in and take good care of them.”
“Soon enough someone asked if I was serious. I thought about it and said, Sure. Next thing I knew, I was packing my bags like I was going on a long vacation,” she said, laughing.
She forgot to pack a few things on her first stay, and her husband dropped them off on the porch. He also brought around her dogs every few days so they could have time together.
Before this Vicki had no full-time experience working at a residential program. “I’ve been at the Center for Development for five years. I have experience working with the individuals. But not living in with them.”
Her husband brought around her dogs every few days so they could have time together.
She worked a total of three houses – sheltering in for two weeks each – all houses with men, most who she had never met.
“They warmed up to me pretty quickly,” she said. “Some of them were protective of me, making sure I had everything I needed,” Vicki said.
Through all this, Vicki has never tested positive. “Honestly, I was never worried. “I wore all the protective gear, and I made sure to take care of myself while I took care of them. I like to cook, and they all like to eat, so I was able to make them some nice meals and they seemed to enjoy them. We spent the time watching TV, talking, getting fresh air outside the houses on warm afternoons.”
In the end,” she said, “It was a nice break from regular life.”
“She saved the day for us in so many ways,” said Chris Melski, Director of Residential Services. “BCArc is lucky to have Vicki on the team.”
Will she keep going with this? “If they need me, I suppose I’ll continue to shelter-in.”
