Work Is Health
Every Friday, without fail and with admirable punctuality, Don Manuel arrives at our branch before 9:00 in the morning. He waits for us at the door, always with a smile, even if he’s tired from a long week of hard work in an unusual place: a crematory. For many, imagining that job would be too difficult; for him, it is a role he carries out with respect and dignity, making sure everything is clean and in order to welcome families in their most difficult moments. “It’s a job like any other,” he says with simplicity. “What motivates me is that the family arrives and finds everything well arranged, like in their own home.” That is his philosophy: work done well, with care, as an act of service toward others.
Originally from Aguascalientes, raised in Mexico City, Don Manuel joined Latino Community Credit Union in 2004. He first visited the Raleigh branch on Wake Forest Road, and over time found in Garner the branch that has accompanied him ever since. He sums it up with humility: “Since the beginning, they have helped me and always treated me well.” But Don Manuel is not only a loyal member; he is part of the family. Everyone knows him by name. His presence every Friday inspires trust, and his absence is felt. “Here I feel at home,” he shares. And it’s true: he has given us more than twenty years of loyalty and smiles.
At 79 years old, Don Manuel is thinking about retirement. “I already feel tired,” he admits, although his energy and good humor contradict those words. After 21 years working at the funeral home, he plans to rest, enjoy his family, three sons and one daughter, and continue sharing advice with younger generations for a long and happy life: “Work is health. When you keep your mind busy, you forget about everything bad. To young people I say: study, work, and look for something you enjoy. That’s the key.”
His story is not one of material wealth or big investments. It is the story of someone who has managed to sustain himself with resilience, dignity, and a love for life. It is the story of someone who reminds us that our work is not only financial, but deeply human. Because every Friday that we saw him walk through the door with a smile, he taught us that perseverance, humility, and work are also forms of wealth.