If you ask Amita Goindi to describe what she does at the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, she doesn’t reach for a job title. She simply says, “I help my friends realize their full potential.”
That answer tells you everything you need to know about Amita.
She works in Voc Plus, a space she speaks about with genuine love, one where Tracey has built an environment that fosters personal growth for both members and staff alike. For Amita, it’s not just a program. It’s where she gets to show up every day for the people she cares about most.
And she means every day. When her family returned home from a trip to Florida, Amita was the only one in the car excited to get back to work. That says it all.
Moments That Make It Matter
Choosing a single standout memory is something Amita finds nearly impossible, and honestly, we love that about her. “Every time a member is proud of themselves, I get so happy I want to burst,” she shares.
One moment that stays with her: a member who helped her build furniture, using a screwdriver on his own. At the end of that day, he stood in front of what he’d built, proudly showing everyone who walked by, shielding it like it was the most important thing in the room. Because to him, it was. And to Amita, watching that unfold was everything.
It’s moments like these that keep her grounded when the day gets long. When things feel heavy, she finds her way back to the members, looking through old photos, reliving favorite memories with her friends, and remembering why she’s here.
A Team That Lifts Each Other Up
Amita is quick to celebrate the people around her. She lights up when she talks about her colleague Barbara, describing her as someone who models kindness and friendship with everyone she meets. “Multiple members have become more comfortable with me because she introduced me,” Amita says, “though she will never take any credit for it.”
And then there’s Chrissy, who after hearing Amita had a hard day and had volunteered to come in on one of her college class days, showed up with a homemade cherry crumb pie. “I loved the pie,” Amita smiles, “but the feeling of someone willing to put in the effort to make my day better meant more to me than she will ever know.”
That is what teamwork looks like here.
Her Own Journey of Strength
What makes Amita’s story especially meaningful is that she brings something to this work that goes far beyond job skills. She brings lived experience.
A disability she acquired later in life brought significant muscular challenges, affecting her balance and coordination. Over her years at the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, she had to relearn things most of us never think twice about: walking, reading, writing, typing. “Having a job at all gave me confidence,” she reflects, “and that was vital in my success in all of that.”
The community she found here became part of her recovery and her growth. The friendships she’s built are still lifting her up every single day. “I’ve learned how strong I truly am,” she says, “and who I can rely on to enable me to achieve. Having a supportive environment of people who understand that progress isn’t always linear makes me so grateful that I work where I do.”
Looking Ahead: A Voice for Change
Amita isn’t finished growing. Not even close.
Her eyes are set on advocacy, because as she puts it, “the world is not made for people with disabilities, and I intend to change that.” She plans to draw on her own experience, and on what members share with her, to determine where to focus. She’s thinking about the everyday things, like always having accessible ways to get water, and the bigger picture of making sure the voices of those who are often unheard are finally, truly heard.
She also wants the world to know something about the Living and Learning Enrichment Center that she holds close: “The people in management are amazingly accommodating. I have a myriad of residual health issues, and I have never once felt that they are an obstacle to my employment.”
That kind of trust, belonging, and care is what makes this place home.
We are so proud to have Amita on our team. She is a friend, a champion, a learner, and an advocate, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.