Patience, Companionship, and Hands-On Support

Employee Spotlight: Jemma Moses, Senior Care Coordinator

For Senior Care Coordinator Jemma Moses, the heart of her work at CaringWorks is simple: “It’s about helping homeless people live a better, more productive life.”

Jemma has been with CaringWorks for six years and she spends her days connecting with clients—by phone, in person, or through home visits—providing not only case management but also support and encouragement.

“They like the companionship that I bring when I visit them,” she said. “Just someone to make sure that they’re okay.”

Her path into social work wasn’t planned. While in college, Jemma was pursuing an education degree, but she had an eye-opening moment during an internship at an inner-city school. A hungry child struggling to focus made her curious about what a social worker does.

“I thought, maybe I can go to the home and get to the root of the problem so when kids come to school, they can focus.”

Jemma changed her major to social work and went on to spend nearly 17 years with the Department of Family and Children’s Services before transitioning into homeless services.

For Jemma, success looks different for every client. Sometimes it’s a major milestone like landing a job or learning to budget. Other times, it’s as small—but just as meaningful—as keeping an apartment clean, taking medication consistently, or even stepping outside for fresh air. One story stands out to her: she recently took one of her clients out for a birthday dinner, and the woman shared that she used to look for food in the trash behind a restaurant, but now she could enjoy dining in a restaurant.

“She was telling me how appreciative she is and how far she’s come. And it was just so touching.”

Jemma’s own perspective on homelessness has shifted since joining CaringWorks.

“Now I realize all of us could be a paycheck away from being homeless. Mental health plays such a big role, and not everyone can see that.”

Jemma attributes her success in her role to having patience and being a good listener.

“You have to be patient and understanding,” she said. “Sometimes we say we’re good listeners, but we’re really listening to respond, not listening to have empathy and just be in the moment.”

That empathy extends to understanding the challenges her clients face.

 “You have to know their diagnoses and not take things personally,” she adds. “It’s easy to get your feelings hurt, but sometimes it’s just their mental health. You have to have tough skin.”

Though the work can be challenging, Jemma finds it deeply rewarding.

“The best part of my job is being there hands-on with my clients, teaching them new things, and seeing them succeed in their own way.”

October 2025