“You're a disaster preparedness worker, so if there's a fire or any pandemic that can pull you and put you in any roll that they see fit.” 

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Monica Twilegar grew up in rural Oregon and started working at her local Dairy Queen at the age of 14. Having to work from such a young age led her into a path of hard work and determination. With the birth of her first child Sydney, Monica couldn’t bring herself to leave her daughter at home while she went to work. So, she made the decision to suspend her career growth and build a family. After many happy years raising her four kids, Monica decided to return to work. She got a job with San Diego County through a temp agency and quickly worked her way up to a library technician II. Monica adores her job at the library and loves hosting programs with kids, such as storytime or arts and crafts. 

 

During March of 2020, Monica had been reassigned to a different job. As a San Diego County worker, she doubles as a disaster service worker. When we were declared in a state of emergency, disaster service workers took on any jobs necessary to help out the state. Monica was a part of opening the first temporary shelter/hotel for people who didn’t have a safe place to quarantine after receiving a positive COVID result. After a couple of months she resigned to assist on an isolation support helpline where she checked in on people who had tested positive, she also answered questions and provided resources such as food stamps and rental assistance. Now that she is transitioning back into her normal work at the library, Monica will be taking a more cautious approach to the hands on work she was doing a year ago.