Meet Samuel, the face of the Family Support Center
Samuel enjoys his job as the first person visitors see at the Family Support Center
When you take the elevator to People Incorporated’s section of the fourth floor at 1 Father DeValles Boulevard in Fall River and enter the reception area of Suite 401, you might not expect to be greeted by an eclectic novelist with two jobs. For the past several weeks, Samuel has worked as the office administrator at People Incorporated’s Family Support Center, managing the front desk and greeting visitors with a smile as the first face visitors see. His responsibilities at the office have gradually increased in his short time at the Center, from guiding visitors to assisting with mailing the quarterly newsletter.
Sam effortlessly establishes a sense of trust with people who enter the Family Support Center. He takes their comfort seriously, saying, “I want people to know that they’re in good hands when they approach me. I’m ambitious, but I’m also humble, and I care about the needs of others.” After a day of work at the Family Support Center, Sam clocks into his second job, a remote position at the Springfield-based Follow My Steps Foundation. In both of these positions, Sam is proud of his work, adding, “I make a big difference.”
Sam is also an accomplished writer and enjoys it not only as a hobby, but also as a potentially lucrative side hustle. Only in his spare time is he able to work on his fantasy novel titled Dezzra and Kaddy. Compared to his original 2019 draft, the novel has blossomed into an intricate tale set in a world of its own. While the novel is focused on inventive, other-worldly creations, Sam’s writing is well-informed by history, literature, as well as the tradition of the young adult fantasy genre. Sam’s excitement when speaking with him about his passion for writing is evident: after offering some details about his Excel spreadsheet ‘ranking’ the rulers of ancient civilizations, Sam invokes Harry Potter, Lord of the Flies, and Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic poem Inferno.
Sam enjoys his current role as office admin, but that doesn’t keep him from looking toward the future. In addition to his literary ambitions, Sam has ideas for enlivening a humdrum errand, noting “I’d like to reinvent the car wash and make it more like an amusement park ride.” Animatronics, lights, music, why not? For all of his diligence and professionalism as office admin, Sam maintains a palpable sense of wonder. “I’m a person of fantasy,” he agrees. In a short amount of time, Sam has established himself as a valuable part of the team at People Incorporated, emanating kindness and creativity from the front desk.
The Family Support Center is a program of People Incorporated that is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services.
Below is a brief description of Samuel’s upcoming novel in his own words.
The novel Dezzra and Kaddy tells the story of a witch and an extraterrestrial who become best friends after a chance meeting. Even in the face of deep-seated bigotry and collective cowardice, the two girls not only find a way to make their companionship work, but eventually bring their peoples one step closer to mending their discord.