In December 2018, Care Pro Maria Answered the Call for Help
When Imelda Hawkins decided to call in the cavalry 6½ years ago on a chilly December day, she dialed up one of her sisters, Maria Garza. Imelda, now the human resources coordinator and recruitment coordinator at Home Instead® of Midland-Odessa, was trying to find Care Professionals for the shifts before Christmas while working as the scheduling coordinator.
By coincidence, Maria had driven 138 miles from her home in Morton, Texas, to Odessa to visit her daughter.
Imelda recalled: “We were in a huge bind. After I called, Maria was at our office in Midland within the hour. At the time, Maria was a full-time school district employee but was off work because of the holiday break. She started as a Home Instead Care Pro immediately to help fill in where we needed a Care Pro and later worked weekends and most school breaks after that. It was a total blessing that my sister came to work with us that day.”
Maria, the second of 11 children in their family, took pleasure in helping Imelda, the fifth child of the family. Maria, who had worked weekdays in her hometown, was in her 28th year with the Morton Independent School District when she retired in 2023. Remembering those days with Home Instead before she left the school district, Maria said: “I got so attached to the clients. It hurt during the week when I didn’t see them. Any break I got from my school job, I came to work for Home Instead. I love to work with people who need my help.”
Imelda pointed out: “Maria was also a family caregiver to our mom and stepdad during their final years. Maria has the heart of an angel. She had been raising three grandchildren and has cared for them since they were only months old. Her oldest granddaughter recently graduated from high school and is headed to college.”
Maria was pressed into senior care long ago. “Our mom died 30 years ago, and our stepdad lived on for a few more years. They lived two blocks away from me in Morton. When I took care of Mom, I had little ones. I was busy. I took care of Mom for four years. I stayed with her in a hospital for three straight months. It was a Lubbock hospital, about 70 miles east of Morton. My siblings drove over to stay with Mom when they could. I’d go back home on Saturdays and Sundays, and wash clothes,” Maria recalled.
Despite the driving distance, Maria’s reliability has been unmatched – so have her caregiving skills and compassion. As a result, she has been honored three times as the franchise’s Care Pro of the Month. Imelda cannot suppress her admiration for her sister. “Maria is a special Care Pro, the best. Well, I’m kind of biased, because she is my sister. I have never been prouder of a Care Pro than I am of Maria Garza. She was and continues to be a blessing from God,” Imelda said.
Maria loves being a part of the Care Pro team for the Midland-Odessa franchise, a member of a network comprised of Home Instead, Inc. and its parent company, Honor. With the world’s largest home-care network and the most advanced care platform, Honor and Home Instead are revolutionizing care for older adults, their families and Care Pros. Combined, the network has more than 100,000 Care Pros across 13 countries, meeting the growing needs of millions of older adults and their families worldwide.
All Home Instead Care Professionals are screened, trained and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (432) 689-4663 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
