Our October Aide of the Month, Aysia Freeman was born in New Orleans. Before finding her way to New York and Blossom, Aysia lived in North Carolina and Florida. Her time in Florida was instrumental because it was here that she realized her passion for helping others, “When I moved to Florida that’s when I realized that I like working around older people because my neighbor she watched me, and it was like we were taking care of each other basically because she was older.” Aysia’s inner desire to help others is also connected to her dedication to family. When she was younger, Aysia lived with her grandfather who had diabetes and she helped take care of him.
Aysia enjoys being able to pursue her love of helping others at Blossom. She admires how Blossom is there for their Aides, “You guys are always like working with us… if we have questions ourselves, you guys are pretty fast about getting back to us and helping us out with our situation.” Before Blossom, Aysia worked in a group home for people with disabilities. She also worked in the food industry and was a part of the Air Force Junior ROTC program in high school.
One of Aysia’s favorite things to do with clients is to listen to their stories and the wisdom that they share. “I like listening to their stories. I’m a big listener and so I just let them talk, share stories, I’ll share my stories with them.” With one client, Aysia loves listening to her share stories of faith and religion. Aysia also loves playing cards. The game Rummy 500 is one of her favorites and it has a special place in her heart because her grandfather taught her how to play.
Outside of work, Aysia enjoys spending time with her fiancé and stepdaughter. Aysia is an incredibly hardworking and creative individual and even has her own t-shirt business, Melanated Millennials. The business began around the time of the pandemic and started as memorial shirts. The business later expanded, and she began making shirts with a social justice focus, such as Black Lives Matter designs, as well as making t-shirts for her fiancé’s R&B group.
For those interested in a career at Blossom, Aysia advises one to be prepared for anything because you work with clients from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. To be successful as an Aide, Aysia believes empathy and compassion are of utmost importance. “You just have to have a caring heart and… put your foot in their shoes and just be mindful that whatever the situation that got them there, that you're not going through that situation so you should just want to help them the best way that you can…” Thank you, Aysia, for all your hard work and for sharing your story!
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