SCOPE director caters to skills
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Niles resident Mary Romesberg is a people person.
It makes sense that her new position as director of Newton Falls Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavors, or SCOPE, is a perfect fit. Each day, Romesberg, 62, interacts with dozens of people.
"I've only been there a few months, but I really love working there. I get to go out of the office and mingle and get to know the people who come to the center. It is a very active group there," Romesberg said.
She grew up in Mineral Ridge and graduated from Mineral Ridge High School. While a student there, she studied culinary arts at Gordon D. James Career Center.
"I worked at various restaurants for many years after graduation and I was a restaurant manager at a couple of different restaurants," she said.
Just like almost every employed person in the world, she was not working as businesses shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My really good friend, Doreen, is the manager of the Niles SCOPE. During the pandemic, I helped her deliver food to homes," Romesberg said. "We had bags of groceries and we would just leave the food at the door of certain people's homes. We couldn't have any contact with the people."
She did that for about year, donning masks to make sure people received their food.
Romesberg found out about SCOPE through a friend years ago, and she even participated in a couple of the organization's activities.
"I went on a casino bus trip to the Rivers in Pittsburgh. It was a long time ago. It was before the pandemic," she said.
When businesses began to open up again as COVID subsided, Romesberg returned to work in food service.
"I was working at several part-time jobs and I worked at a deli," Romesberg said.
However, the repetitive movements made throughout decades of working in the culinary arts took their toll on Romesberg's body, leading to medical procedures.
"I had shoulder surgery. I had rotator cuff surgery," she said.
This medical issue changed how she looked at her job.
"The doctor said if I continue to do this type of work, it will not help my shoulder," she said.
Romesberg said that her shoulder has improved by 90% or more in a little over a year since the surgery.
Fate by way of a friend stepped in to help Romesberg find another position.
"Doreen told me that there was an opening at the Newton Falls SCOPE for a manager. I thought, 'Maybe I would like to do that.' Doreen had explained to me what she did at the Niles SCOPE as manager," Romesberg said.
So she applied for the position and got it. Romesberg has been working as the manager of Newton Falls SCOPE for almost six months.
"I had to do some computer training and I realized that there is some paperwork to do for this job, but I was used to management in restaurants," she said.
Romesberg has put her stamp on the position with the experience that she had in the food service.
"We had a cookout. I put up a sign that I would be grilling hot dogs at the center. They all brought stuff. I had about 30 people show up. They had a wonderful time. A few of them told me, 'This is so wonderful. I just sat there and met new people and talked,'" Romesberg said.
The Newton Falls SCOPE members were so enthusiastic about the cookout that she planned a second one for the following month.
Romesberg also had SCOPE members answer a short survey so she could determine what types of activities they liked to participate in.
"They love to play bingo, but they are active, so we have different types of exercise programs, and I am going to introduce some new activities in the fall," Romesberg said.
Romesberg's transition from restaurant employment to the manager at Newton Falls SCOPE is going well.
Yes, part of the success is due to her previous management experience, but it's mostly Romesberg's enthusiasm and interest in the activities and people who attend the center.
"The people there are so wonderful. They welcomed me and they wanted to get to know me," Romesberg said.
The feeling is mutual between Romesberg and the Newton Falls SCOPE members.
"I just love having conversations with all of them. I have met so many interesting people. I don't even think of it as a job. I just like being with them and doing new things."