life’s riches

Jenna shouldered a lot of responsibility caring for her sister and brothers as both of her parents worked fulltime. She was their babysitter after school, preparing snacks, overseeing homework, and mediating the arguments that inevitably creep up between siblings.

Jenna’s mom, Audrey Swang, knew having siblings with special needs wasn’t always easy for her oldest daughter. ”They were more fragile, took more of our time, required us to be away during their surgeries, a visit to Mayo and the financial strain of these events ultimately meant there were things we just couldn't do,” says Audrey. “She never showed resentment or seemed to feel in any way put out.” and participated in the law enforcement Explorer program, started Tae Kwon Do at age fourteen and joined the Army Reserves when she was seventeen. But Jenna’s plans quickly changed with the birth of her daughter Kaia when she was 19-years-old.

Jenna was also her siblings’ watchdog, making sure no one bullied them. “I remember yelling at kids on the bus for using the ‘R’ word to describe my sister,” she recalls.

“Jenna is a woman of great confidence and determination and she did whatever needed to be done to take care of her daughter,” explains Audrey. “This was a very difficult time in her life, but also a time of courage and growth.”

Jenna’s focus was now her daughter and she would do anything for her wellbeing, even if it meant doing it as a single mom. Jenna broke up with her boyfriend and moved back to her parents’ home.

“Jenna was stressed, but selfless,” recalls her mom. “Raising Kaia in an emotionally rich and balanced atmosphere was something she devoted herself to.”

Mari Swang says her big sister is the best she could have ever asked for. “We spent a lot of time together,” says Mari. “Jenna is always fun. I can't remember a time when she wasn't. There is nothing about her I would change.”

Altered Plans

Jenna has always had a "go get 'em" self described personality. She dreamed of going into law enforcement

It was a tumultuous, confusing and disappointing time for this new mom who had always been strong and independent. Soon, stability and clarity would enter Jenna’s world as she and her high school sweetheart, Bob, began talking and decided to give their relationship a second try. Jenna had always known Bob was the right man for her.

“We got married when Kaia was 1 ½-years-old,” says Jenna. “She has always known Bob as, and called him, her dad. He officially adopted her last year.”

After Kaia, who is now eleven, the couple welcomed Jaeda [8 ½] and Ethan [7] and the Pepsin’s were now running the typical rat race of working parents wondering if they should trade financial stability for family time or vice versa?

And when it came to providing and caring for their kids while Jenna worked as a manager at Gordman’s and Bob as a sales professional for Cableone, they tried it all: putting all three kids in daycare, hiring a nanny, staying home. None of it worked well for their family. Something had to change.

CCRI [Creative Care for Reaching Independence] provides care for about 350 people in Clay County who have varying degrees of disabilities. “Our mission is to enhance and enrich the lives and learning of people with disabilities,” explains Becky Sallberg, a Residential Coordinator, who has worked closely with Jenna.

Jenna was immediately hired as a Professional Care Giver. That means she looks after her clients and their needs, whether they are medical, financial or personal. On a given day, she could be taking a client to a doctor’s appointment, picking up a client from their work, counting out medication or arranging a lunch date with a client’s family member. At the moment, she works at a home with four women who each require a wide-range of care. She works a 48-hour shift every other week that starts Thursday around 5:30am and concludes late Friday evening.

Creative Change

“I had been working 55 to 60 hours a week in retail. But it got to the point where I couldn’t afford—emotionally and financially—to pay someone to care for my kids and be stressed at work,” she says. But staying home full-time created a financial struggle. That’s when Jenna called CCRI and found the best situation for her and her family.

“I don’t sit when I’m with them,” says Jenna. “I’m up every two hours during the night to reposition one client and I have to turn the lights on for another when she needs the restroom. During the day I’m cleaning the house, giving medications, taking them shopping or for a walk or to a supper club. By Saturday mornings, I’m an absolute bag of garbage—I’m so tired!”

Still, it’s the perfect fit for Jenna. She is able to contribute to the family income. She can spend the majority of her week with her husband and children. And she gets an immense feeling of pride and accomplishment knowing she is helping people who, like her sister and brother, have a disability.

“I like what I do. I think that’s huge. I understand what the families are going through,” Jenna states. “I don’t look at it like it’s work. Don’t get me wrong, it is work. It’s not just a job though. It’s a lot more than that. I’ve learned way more from my clients than they’ve learned from me.”

And Jenna’s devotion to her clients can be easily seen. “She has worked with three non-verbal clients and she just gets it,” explains Becky. “She knows each of their routines and will act on a request before one even has to be made. Because she is able to do this, her clients trust her and value her.”

One of those clients was Rachel. Jenna’s professionalism and the connection she developed with Rachel at Camp Hero prompted Becky to nominate Jenna for the ARRMS [Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota] Cares award in 2010, which celebrates outstanding care giving service.

Camp Hero is a three day camping excursion bringing together about 60 clients and the staff to accommodate their needs. Rachel requires staff to help her with all her activities of daily living as well as help her communicate using sign language. When one of Rachel’s normal staff was not able to attend, CCRI approached Jenna. Jenna accepted without hesitation or intimidation of the amount of cares Rachel required.

Jenna spent time at Rachel’s home before camp getting comfortable with Rachel’s needs and also allowing Rachel to be comfortable with Jenna. Once at camp, the girls did great together! Not one person there knew this shift was Jenna’s first with Rachel.

“Jenna did such an amazing job she was selected from our pool of 400 employees to be recognized at the state level for her exceptional care,” Becky says. “She provides excellent care, she is intuitive, she is a leader and she goes above and beyond each day she comes to her shift.”

After camp Rachel went back to her home and Jenna went back to her normal clients, but their bond remains strong. Rachel is thrilled every time she sees Jenna. She puts her arm across her chest, and Jenna knows it is Rachel’s way of saying, “I love you.”

“I know that growing up with a sister and brother with disabilities equipped Jenna with a toolset that makes her job at CCRI very personal and enjoyable,” Bob explains. “But I believe regardless of her background she would, and always will, gravitate toward employment where she can help people and interact with them on a personal level.”

“During my interview at CCRI, I was asked what one thing I could improve on,” recalls Jenna. “My answer was to be a better listener. Through my past four years at CCRI and 11 years of being a mom, I can now say that is my biggest improvement. That doesn't always mean words, but actions, facial expressions and body language too. It's amazing what you can learn when you listen!”

Operation Foster

Jenna has always taken pride in having a ‘congregating house.’ Whether it’s the Super Bowl or the holidays, they’ve always welcomed company. In 2010 the family moved into a larger home and Bob approached Jenna with an idea to take advantage of their increased space and invite even more ‘company’ into their home.

“Her first reaction was really, really positive because she thought I had meant fostering children,” laughs Bob.

But Bob meant animals. Jenna, busy with her CCRI job, kids and house, including the three dogs and two cats they already had, had reservations. But the more she thought about it, she came to realize this was the ideal opportunity to teach her children about generosity, love and responsibility. “I approached it like a real family project,” Jenna says.

Bob and Jenna immediately applied and were accepted to become a foster family with the FM Humane Society. The Pepsin’s are one of roughly two dozen families in the Red River Valley the FM Humane Society can call upon to foster animals.

“They obviously have a strong love for animals and they want to help. This is a relatively easy way for them to help,” says Heather Clyde, Shelter Manager of the FM Humane Society.

However, even Heather admits the Pepsin’s first foster situation wasn’t exactly easy. Bob came home with a litter of 3-week-old sick baby kittens who needed to be bottle fed. “Most people who want to help out with bottle kittens often have a stay-at-home parent or they don’t have children or their pets are their kids,” Heather explains. “It takes extra effort with bottle kittens and it’s pretty much like having a litter of babies. But the Pepsin’s did an awesome job!”

“It was so cute to see these little tiny kittens crawling all over our kids,” says Jenna with a smile. “We got to watch our three kids hold these kittens and feed them with a bottle. Where else are you going to see that? It was such a great learning experience.” her time

All three kittens were adopted, including one by the Pepsin’s. Soon Bob brought home a 9-month-old male dog named Pippin. After a several week stay, Pippin found a home too with—you guessed it—the Pepsin’s!

“I am not sure we are an ideal foster home as we ourselves have become ‘foster failures,’" admits Bob with a chuckle.

With four dogs and three cats, Jenna says her family is at capacity and is only taking animals in on an emergency foster basis. Regardless of the added mess and stress a houseful of animals has brought, Jenna and Bob wouldn’t change a thing.

“It was amazing to watch how nurturing our wonderful kids have turned out to be. We must have done something right!” she says with a smile.

Carrying the load of wife, mother, caregiver, and foster parent would leave anyone drained. Jenna is no exception. But throughout her life, Jenna has proven that she has the dedication, drive and passion to overcome any challenge. She draws a large part of her fighting spirit from her over 16 years practicing in Tae Kwon Do.

“I needed the discipline,” she admits, “but it was also a good fit for developing my leadership skills. That certainly carried into my military career in the Reserves and my other work life.”

Now, Tae Kwon Do is the one thing Jenna can say for sure she does for herself. “You need to have something for you,” she stresses. “As a woman, you can become what everyone else needs you to be but not who you need to be.” Turns out, who Jenna is, is someone not to be messed with. She recently tested for - and passed - her 3rd degree black belt at USA Spirit Christian Tae Kwon Do Academy.

Audrey sees the benefits Tae Kwon Do has had on her daughter. “It has taught her to raise her own expectations of herself and it enriched her relationship with God.”

“Becoming a black belt... that’s a long journey,” says John Bedore, 6th degree Master Instructor who has worked with Jenna since the first day she walked onto the mat. “Jenna had to put in lots and lots of hours of training and rigorous testing. It takes perseverance. She’s had to persevere through lots of things in Tae Kwon Do and in her personal life. And she’s succeeded every step of the way.”

Simple Success

Jenna has a lot of responsibilities and roles. She tackles each head on, does them well and looks for nothing in return.

“Jenna always shies from the limelight and never seeks or gets enough recognition for all that she does,” Bob says. “There isn't enough chocolate in the world to thank her for what she does for us!”

“As cheesy as it sounds, my real rewards are knowing a non-verbal client is trying to tell me something and I get it right. It's a fellow parent complimenting my parenting. It's having time to spend sitting at the side of a pool on a weekday watching my kids swim. It's a quick "thank you" from a supervisor for doing something I didn't realize would require recognition. It's giving an animal a temporary home,” Jenna states. “These are the best rewards!”

No, Jenna doesn’t look for anything in return, but she holds on tight to the riches of life.