Kenny Mercado: Everywhere, all at once
The Maintenance Supervisor for Golda Meir House and Leland House, Kenny Mercado, comes pretty close to working magic. “I don’t know how he does it,” says Executive Director Myra Marshall, “but Kenny seems to be able to be everywhere, all at once. He's on the go, literally and figuratively, all the time.”
It's curiosity that drives Kenny. Even as a child, he was good with tools and liked to figure out how things worked. After high school, he became a Master HVAC Technician and Sheet Metal Worker.
At 2Life, Kenny often fixes things that would otherwise need the costly attention of an outside vendor. “Kenny is by far the best diagnostician and problem solver that I’ve ever had here in my 12 years,” adds Myra. “If he doesn’t immediately know the answer, he’s going to be on it until he figures it out.”
“There's always something to learn,” says Kenny. That applies to relationships as well as buildings. “I love people, and it doesn’t matter how old they are. They are still very funny and interesting.” he says. “I’ll always make time to talk to residents. Many times, they teach me something that I didn't know. I treat them all like they're my grandparents. They're great!” Residents appreciate Kenny so much, they’re constantly bringing him chocolate, so his colleagues always know where to go to find good snacks.
Developing connections may be the one time when Kenny slows down. If residents are dealing with hearing, vision, or memory loss, Kenny patiently reassures them that he is there to help. “Even before I start working, I sit down with them for a few minutes and talk. The best part of my job is interacting with the people here—and at the end of the day feeling like I accomplished something.”
Accomplishment means a lot to Kenny. “I grew up in Waltham, in the Prospect Hill housing project—the streets. Because of where I'm from, I always had to prove myself.” Kenny admits that earlier in life he “turned left when I should’ve turned right. But when I had kids, I changed my life. I wanted to do good, as opposed to always thinking it's me against the world.” Today, he says, “I'm happy to wake up in the morning. I'm thankful for everything, and I want to make my time here seem like it was for something, and not just a paycheck.”
