Making repairs and connections
Jarek Kaczynski, 67, is brilliant with words and handy with tools.
Half his lifetime ago, Jarek arrived in the U.S. He had given up a successful career as a journalist and publisher in Poland to be closer to his son.
He got a job washing dishes in a pizzeria, where he set his mind to learning English from the young staff. After work, they would take Jarek to bars. They were there to listen to live music. Jarek was mostly there to listen to his friends.
English has served him well, of course, but now, as part of his job on the maintenance crew at 2Life, Jarek talks with residents in different languages every day. Although he is 100% Polish, he can also speak other Slavic languages. His time living in Moscow helps him connect with the many seniors on 2Life’s Brighton Campus who speak only Russian.
“When they need me, I am there to repair,” Jarek says. And while he is fixing a leaky faucet or replacing a thermostat, they chat easily in Russian. “I grew up in that kind of culture. We have a lot in common, like movies and songs. They call me ‘brother spirit.’”
Jarek is also often called on to translate for residents during emergencies. His supervisor believes Jarek has helped save lives in the year and a half he has worked there.
“I feel good that I can help,” he says. “But I am a gentle spirit. For me, sometimes it is very hard.”
Jarek unwinds by writing and reading. He reads two Polish journals a week and surrounds himself with books. He is constantly learning and enjoys practicing Spanish with friends on the maintenance crew.
Every Sunday, he and his friends from Boston’s Polish Triangle neighborhood meet at a donut shop chain and talk for hours.
They bring Polish “donuts” fresh from a local market, “but we buy lots of coffee, so it’s all right,” Jarek laughs. “I like to be close to my friends.”
When it comes to helping others, Jarek is always there. Whether fixing something around the community, offering a listening ear, or reassuring a resident in need, he goes above and beyond — even when it is hard.
