Lisa: So you were talking
about some of the jobs

you did at Pennhurst and
you did a lot of them.

When were you given
your first job?

Do you remember?

Tom: The first job I had
was in a crib ward

like changing other residents.

Then I moved up and I
did all the crib wards

then I did maintenance
then I did recreation

then I did running around the
offices like a mail carrier;

giving this, giving that.

Like if somebody says
if I give you mail,

then that way it will be in
your office or Paul's office.

Lisa: What other kind of
work did you do there?

Tom: Then I did housekeeping
like mopping floors

and stuff like that.

Lisa: Did you ever help the
medical staff with their work?

Tom: Yeah.

Lisa: How did you help them?

Tom: Like, if I go on
the ward and I carried

the [North] key or the
R13 key for the fire box

and I would get on it and say,

"There's a fire in
D building; D4 there's a fire."

And they would come out
and bring the trucks from

Spring City, Pottstown,
Limerick, Royersford

and their trucks would come
out and go to that fire setup.

Lisa: And did you help with
any of the residents?

Help them with their medication?

Tom: Yes, and I helped them
get out of the building

when there was a fire
and stuff like that.

Lisa: Can you tell me about
how you helped patients,

I'm sorry, residents
with medications?

Tom: If the nurse had it on the
tray and they tell me the name

I would go with the nurse to
give it out to make sure that

they get the right dosage,
the right time,

the right med and
stuff like that

and they would write it down.

Lisa: So that was a lot
of responsibility.

Tom: Yeah.

Lisa: Were you paid for
your work at Pennhurst?

Tom: No. The only
time I got paid

if I was working in the
workshop at Pennhurst.

Then when I got out
I started in OVR.

Then I went to Course
Training Center.

I graduated Course
Training Center.

Then I went to
Bernie's workshop.

Then after Bernie's
workshop I went

and a few years down I
went to the Morning Call.

I delivered papers.

Then a few years - I didn't
have a job for eight years.

Then I'm now working
with the Eastern Express.

Lisa: When you worked at
the workshop at Pennhurst

were you well paid
for the work you did?

Tom: Yeah.

Lisa: Can you tell me how much
you would be paid for your work?

Tom: I should have
brought a number.

I forgot.

Lisa: No worries.

Tom, all the time that you were
in Pennhurst growing up there,

working there, were you ever
able to see your family?

Tom: No.

Lisa: Did you miss not
seeing a family?

Tom: I don't think so
because I never saw them.

Lisa: Did you ever try
to contact them?

Tom: No.

I tried to but no one
knows where they're at

and I don't know
where they're at.

Lisa: Were there times
when that made you feel

particularly lonely
at Pennhurst?

Tom: A little but I got over it.