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Meet Cynthia Portillo

For as long as she can remember, Cynthia Portillo has been a helper. Today, she manages to juggle two jobs, one as a mental health therapist and the other as a DSP at Little City.

For as long as she can remember, Cynthia Portillo has been a helper. Since the age of 15 she has been volunteering or working at places like nursing homes and getting involved in the mental health and substance abuse field. Today, she manages to juggle two jobs, one as a mental health therapist and the other as a DSP at Little City.

For five years, Cynthia has been one of the superstars in the Adult Residential Program at Little City. After starting as a DSP at the Danby Home, Cynthia moved to the Grosse Pointe Home where she has helped residents achieve an incredible level of independence. From taking the time to teach them cooking skills in the kitchen or routinely taking them out to learn how to engage with the community, Cynthia’s dedication to her job has made life-changing differences in our residents’ lives. One former resident was even able to move to an independent-living situation in his own apartment. Cynthia said her love for the job and her success come down to consistency and an open mind. In her five years at Little City, she has never called off on a single shift.

“It doesn’t matter if you are working with someone new or have worked with them a long time, you learn something new every day in this job. Even though I’ve been in this field a long time, I’m still learning. You got to love what you do, because it’s not about money in this field. It’s about compassion, patience, and dedication. I still love coming to work and being with the guys in the house. We take walks, play pool, cook together. At this point, I just read the recipe and they can do it. It’s rewarding to see them grow into independent people. I just hope what I teach them can help them challenge themselves to become more independent.”