Kim

Community Resources Guide
Memphis, TN

Kim began her journey with firsthand in October, 2022. Before that, she worked at a senior housing apartment complex, as a service coordinator. Her job involved arranging activities in the apartment complex for the seniors, helping them with their social security verification, planning movie nights and dinners for the residents, and assisting with meal plans. Kim's dedication to the seniors was evident in her work, as she always went above and beyond to ensure that they were happy and well taken care of. One of the biggest issues at the apartment complex was the residents constantly running out of food and craving meat. Kim worked tirelessly to find new ways to provide for them, even partnering with the Mid-South Food Bank to drop off food baskets for the residents.

Kim is dedicated to her own health and wellness journey. For the past two years, she has been working with a personal trainer to stay fit. Her current focus is to adjust her diet to reach her desired fitness and health goals. She finds that exercise is an excellent way to release stress and take care of her body. Kim's commitment to her physical health has also helped her mental health, as she finds that exercise helps her focus on herself and let go of any worries or stress.

In addition to exercise, Kim has a love for self-care, particularly getting her nails and feet done. Indulging in activities for herself allows her to escape from the stresses of life. Kim's dedication to her own mental health is not just a result of her own personal journey, but also her experiences with mental illness in her family.

Kim's mother suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Growing up, Kim didn't realize that her mother was suffering from mental health issues, as her mother would come home from work and go straight to her bedroom- she conducted all her house activities from the bedroom. It wasn't until her mother retired that her mental health issues became more evident. Her mother's attitude and behavior changed, and she was eventually diagnosed with dementia. Kim and her siblings tried different medications to help their mother, but many of them didn't work or caused her to become overly medicated and unable to function. It wasn't until later that they discovered their mother had a cyst in her brain, which caused her to smell a certain scent that no one else could detect and made her sick to her stomach. The doctors told them that this was an extremely rare condition, affecting only five in a million people, but unfortunately, her mother was one of them.

Kim's experiences with her mother's mental illness have taught her the importance of being kind and empathetic to others who may be going through a similar situation.

Kim's father now lives with her, which has been an adjustment for her. She is learning how to have someone around her all the time and is finding joy in cooking and taking care of him. She believes that the Lord has blessed her with this experience, and that it has better prepared her to live with a potential future partner.

Kim is a Community Resources Guide (benefits specialist) at firsthand. The opportunity to work for a startup company is what caught her eye; Kim enjoys the challenge of navigating uncharted territory and figuring out what works and what doesn't.

What motivates Kim in her work is knowing that if she can help even just one person, she has done an awesome job. She recognizes that everyone has needs, and while some may be more complex than others, she wants to be a listening ear and a source of encouragement for those who need it.

Kim's advice for those living with serious mental and physical illnesses is to take each day as it comes and not to beat themselves up about what they haven't accomplished. She encourages them to strive to do better each day.

Kim is passionate about helping others outside of work as well. She volunteers at a ministry as a mentor for expectant mothers, and is very involved in her church. Kim has found fulfillment in her role at firsthand, where she has the opportunity to help others and make a positive impact in their lives.