Abdel Ait Chaib and Ghizlane Bellacen: Practicing a tradition of helping others

For Abdel Ait Chaib and Ghizlane Bellacen, assisting older adults is not just their job — it is their culture. In the couple’s native Morocco, living in multigenerational families is the norm. That has proven to be the ideal background for their roles at Shillman House in Framingham. 

Abdel serves as a maintenance mechanic and Ghizlane as a site representative, providing on-site assistance to residents in the evenings and overnight. But that does not begin to describe how they view their roles. “The residents here are like our own grandparents,” says Ghizlane. “It’s a great pleasure to talk with them and help with whatever they need.” 

THE RESIDENTS HERE ARE LIKE OUR OWN GRANDPARENTS. – GHIZLANE BELLACEN

That sense of family extends to their two young children, who enjoy living at Shillman House. “They love visiting the people here,” Ghizlane notes, sharing that the children often deliver packages to residents, who look forward to these youthful visits. 

In addition to his day job doing maintenance, Abdel pitches in as a site representative in the evenings. In fact, both Abdel and Ghizlane routinely assist with tasks that are not part of their job descriptions. You can often find one or both of them helping to set up for an event, for example. “We never say no,” says Ghizlane. 

It is all about people supporting each other, they say. “Where we grew up, if your neighbor needed help, you helped them,” Abdel explains. “If you can help someone, just do it.”