Some people light up a room just by walking into it. At our Bill Dionne Luncheon Club, that person is Ajuwon Newton.
"He was the type of person who would always come up to you and say hello," says Luigi Rivas, an employment specialist with our partners at Birch Family Services, who has known Ajuwon for about five years. "He just had this energy about him. Every time you meet him, you just can't help but smile."
Ajuwon first came to Carter Burden in 2023 through Birch's pre-vocational group, which Luigi runs. Every Monday and Friday, the group volunteers at the Luncheon Club to build skills for future jobs. They pack cold packs, help with meal service and deliver meals to members who are homebound.
It didn't take long for members to notice Ajuwon. When he was out, they asked where he was. "People would say, oh, I was really hoping to see him today," Luigi remembers. "I could really get a ray of sunshine today."
Visitors often assumed he was on staff and asked how long he'd worked here. His answer was always the same: he was a volunteer, and he came because he wanted to be here. He wanted to be part of the place.
BDLC Director Sharon Ziesel noticed too. She told him he'd be an amazing fit, and with Birch's help, Carter Burden brought him on board. For about a year now, Ajuwon has worked in the Luncheon Club kitchen under Connie Francis, Citymeals STAR Award winner and key kitchen staff, alongside his Birch team. He helps prepare and serve lunch, cleans up and joins in on deliveries. As he puts it, the job is "to help the senior people to satisfy their lunch appetite, their hunger."
"The more I do, the more I get.”
For Luigi, watching Ajuwon's journey has been one of the best parts of his job. "I was able to see him go from this journey of, OK, I want to be out in the community, to having a job, having somewhere where he belongs," he says. "That really warms my heart."
Ajuwon says the work gives back as much as he puts in. "I bring in the positive energy talking to senior people," he says. "It makes me want to work more. I'm more motivated, more positive. The more I do, the more I get."
He's also clear about where he's headed. "I need to keep going forward, not going back," he says. "Going forward is the most important thing. I would do everything to help out the senior people."
Ask Ajuwon what he loves about Carter Burden and he'll tell you it's the people. "The senior people are really lovely, the bosses are really kind, and my team is really helpful every day," he says. "It's always important that we are family. We are together as part of the community."
Luigi sees the same thing from the Birch side. "Even though we come from a different agency, I still feel like Carter Burden is a family," he says. "Everyone makes the effort to get out of the house and talk to their friends. And if somebody's missing, you notice right away."
That sense of belonging is what the Luncheon Club is all about, and Ajuwon helps create it every day he walks through the door. Next time you're at lunch, look for the smile. That's Ajuwon.
Ajuwon's story started with volunteering. If you'd like to share your time with our members, whether serving lunch, delivering meals or simply saying hello, we'd love to have you. Learn about volunteering
