I want to make a difference

I've been wanting to get back into the workforce for a while now. I'm frustrated because many jobs now want you to have a degree and I don't have one. If they don't want a degree they want you to have a solid work history which I also don't have since I've been out of work for 7 years. I saw a job listing today for people to work with developmentally delayed adults helping them learn skills. I know I would be great at this job because I love helping people. I feel good about myself when I can help someone, when I can make them realize that someone does care about them and make a difference in their life. I worked in a nursing home as a CNA for 4 years and even though the pay sucked I loved my job. Knowing that by helping these men and women I cared for feel valued made me feel great. I became close with many of the people I cared for during that time. It wasn't just a job to me. I would sit and visit with them, I valued their opinion and made them feel good about themselves. I had one family who told me that I was the only one that they had trusted with their father's care. Another family told me that their mom loved me like I was her grandaughter because I took such good care of her and treated her with respect and dignity. The people I took care of weren't just patients to me they became and extended family of sorts. After I left that job I received a message from my gramma (who worked at the same nursing home as I did) and she told me one of the people I cared for was dying and she asked if I could go visit her. This was 2 years after I stopped working there. I went to see her and spent about 30 mins with her before she became too tired to visit and I left. Two days later she passed away. I received a message from the head nurse that stated the lady was so happy that I had come to visit her and thanked me. My sister had come along on that visit and as we were leaving she said that she couldn't believe how good I was dealing with the patients. Several people came up to me while I was their and hugged me and said they missed me. It's was amazing to me that they would remember me after two years and be so excited to see me. It was then that I truly realized how much of a difference I did make in their lives. I don't think that having a degree will make you better at this type of job than someone who doesn't have a degree. A degree doesn't give you the character to be successful at this type of job. However, being kind, devoted to those you are caring for and respectful is. Knowing that everyone, no matter what their lot in life is, deserves to be treated with dignity and to know that they are cared for is important. I just want the chance to make a difference in someone's life once again...