Welcome to another installment of How I Work!
How I Work #4 introduces Sheramy Tsai, 42, of South Burlington, Vermont. She is a bachelor’s prepared registered nurse who has practiced in many fields, most recently school nursing.
Sher describes her job as “Registered Nurse/ Nurse Manager/ Writer/ Producer/ Mom.” Sher writes, “In addition to being a nurse, I write professionally. I’ve had over 300 articles published in Mothering Magazine. I’m also a local producer, bringing two sold-out shows to Burlington. Sadly, the last one was cancelled due to the current crisis.”
A woman of many talents, Sher did not let the loss of her job as a school nurse due to the coronavirus pandemic stop her from serving her community. She launched Frontline Foods Vermont, part of a national organization that supports local restaurants and feeds those working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis.
After recently moving in to my family’s new home, Sher became my neighbor. She is friendly, energetic, and full of ideas and positivity. Read on for her thoughts on how the coronavirus has affected how she works.
How has the pandemic changed your job and how you work?
My job as a school nurse was eliminated when schools were cancelled until next year.
coverings when outside of the home to help slow the spread of COVID-19
What have you done to adjust?
I needed a project to work on to help manage my anxieties. I’m a type-A personality that enjoys working, so being home full-time is challenging for me, even during good times.
I decided to find a way to assist my medical colleagues by starting Frontline Foods Vermont, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping the frontline medical workers and the restaurant industry.
Editor’s Note: Donate to Frontline Foods here.
How will these changes affect how you work in the future?
It will be interesting to see what doors open for me as a result of my efforts by starting Frontline Foods Vermont. I have built a team of 8 amazing people who all came to the project in the same way I did: looking for a way to help and be involved during this crisis. I definitely feel more connected to my community as a result of this, and I’m not sure if I will return of my “old career” in the same capacity.
What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned or encountered during this time?
I am still in awe as to how resilient people are. There are many more helpers in the world than I ever realized.
Many thanks to Sher for sharing her experience and insights and for supporting the How I Work Project!
Donate to Frontline Foods here.
What changes have you made to adjust to life and work during coronavirus?
Merci for reading and please subscribe and share!
À votre santé,
Katie
About the How I Work Project
The How I Work series on Joie de Vivre highlights how women around the world are adjusting, coping, and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. It features professionals living in Australia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and the United States (from Detroit and Chicago to Alabama and Vermont).
Whether full-time or part-time, entry-level or retired, a student or a stay-at-home parent or an entrepreneur, we are working. And we all have something to share about how the pandemic effects our daily lives.
Sharing individual insights in a positive, constructive space creates a supportive digital community as we weather the storm of COVID-19 together. It also sheds light on the new normal of the collective lived experience of working during the time of coronavirus.
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