Article written by Karen Lyddane
Wilver Salazar journeyed from the country of El Salvador to the USA alone, at the age of 19, in his quest for a better life. He travelled through Guatemala and Mexico to reach his destination, and gained a lifetime of challenges and memories.
His name? While his mother wanted to call him William, an uncle said that the name of a well-known soccer player, Wilver, was much better. How could she argue? He had a few family members here, including an uncle who was the brother of the uncle who named him. Learning English was one of his biggest challenges. He went to school that helped him a lot with language skills. Wilver learns more each day by just talking with English-speaking people.
His first job was in Texas, where he worked in a warehouse that prepared oil panels for silos. A year later, he moved to Virginia, rented a room from his uncle, and prepared food in a Chinese restaurant. His workday was from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and after about five months, he was ready to have more time with family.
So, Wilver started working in construction, both residential and commercial. He liked carpentry and concrete. He learned to read blueprints, although they were difficult to understand at first. Suddenly, it all made sense, and 12 years later, Wilver was again ready to take the next step in his career. This was when he lived in the Loehmann’s Plaza area. His next move was to Manassas, although he didn’t really like that town. An uncle lived near where Wilver worked, though, and this changed his mind about where he called home.
Wilver found his wife, Amilsa, in Manassas, at the Bethel Pentecostal Church, where they would eventually marry, and where they still belong, almost 20 years later.
They have two children, Cynthia and Allison. They are his great joy. “I am proud to be a Papa!”
A fortunate mention by a special family member about an opportunity at Fairfax Nursing Center turned into a year and a half of working with plumbing, HVAC, electric, and interior finishing. “I met the beautiful Bainum family” there. He continued working there for 1 ½ years after it was sold, and then…
A position became available at The Woodlands. Wilver saw this as a wonderful opportunity to improve his skills. He applied and became who we all know as the kind, indispensable worker with the gentle manner. Residents, staff, supervisors, off-site professionals, all share his joy as he works in this “good environment.”
Every day Wilver uses different skills to help residents and staff. “I enjoy talking and working with the residents.” “They are so nice to be with.” His personal goals involve learning more about the English language. He said that The Woodlands has been very good to him because he has the better life that began his journey to America a long while ago now. He can easily feed his family, and he treasures the time that he has with his family. Wilver said, with an eager gleam in his eye, that “I want to learn about computers.” “I love to work and pay my bills!” Residents and staff alike greatly appreciate each day that offers time with the kind, delightful professional named Wilver Salazar.
