October Employee of The Month – Susan Katko

Susan Katko, joined the senior center staff in 2018, to launch our My Ride TN Jonesborough program. After three years, the program is a huge success and has provided 2,800 rides since starting in December of 2018. The program has provided 33,000 miles of transportation and has served 95 seniors, with that number growing weekly.  Susan, is a huge part of the program success. Her true passion for serving others is evident in the way she treats everyone she works with. With each new rider she sees as opportunity not only to help them with transportation, but to connect with them and offer them a kind ear, a thoughtful card and someone who genuinely cares. Susan sends each of the riders a birthday card and checks on them regularly through phone calls and notes in the mail. Susan not only stays in contact with the homebound seniors, who use MyRide; she also does the same thing for MyRide drivers. That is why the MyRide TN Jonesborough, has more volunteers than any other MyRide program in Northeast Tennessee. Her cards, phone calls and recognition events for their volunteering makes this opportunity enjoyable for the riders and drivers. Susan spends time with the drivers when they come in to check in, provides ongoing training opportunities and is in tune to what is going on in their lives.  Susan, is truly a God send to this program, we had worked with her previously when she had been a volunteer at the senior center and she was the absolute best pick for the position.  The MyRide program continues to serve homebound seniors every day in our local community, the wonderful volunteers are making an impact for the good in our community.  Having Susan Katko, on our senior center staff is truly a blessing to all those who work with her. Not only does she manage the MyRide program she also takes the rides, in the event a driver has a conflict last minute. Her goal is to never turn anyone away that we can provide service to. That commitment to service was so very important throughout the pandemic, as the program had even more requests for transportation, reaching record number of 120 in the month of July. I would like to recommend Susan Katko, MyRide Transportation Coordinator for Employee of the month.

Thank you, Susan Katko! You are appreciated!