CHI Regional Manager Kristina Williamson had the pleasure of working with an amazing employer this summer, Wildwood Linens. Not the most glamorous of jobs, but a well run operation that relies on its international work force and knows just how to make it happen! Kristina wanted to share their story:
Wildwood Linens is a year round business employing over 90 year round staff as well as taking on 60 international students and 60 or so domestic college students in the summer season. They provide clean linen 
for many of the businesses on the Jersey Shore. What makes them a fantastic placement for our Work and Travel Participants is that Wildwood Linens as an employer goes out of its’ way to make sure that the summer students get a cultural experience as well as make a decent wage in a full-time job situation.
The management at Wildwood Linens makes sure the students know exactly what to expect before even arriving in Wildwood. They have an interactive website with pictures of students in action, extensive job descriptions, very clear arrival instructions, housing information, and a lot of information about the area the students will be living in. All of the information a student craves before departure. They also reach out to the students in advance, check and double check arrival information and work closely with the CHI staff before student arrival.
As an employer they offer a summer employee orientation with all summer 
workers, domestic and international which includes a Pizza Party, during the first weeks of arrival. They welcome the students with full support! They encourage our International Students to work side by side with their domestic counterparts.
They provide a full-time employee, Joe Lloyd, designated to the students. Joe offers trips for the students to such places as Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, Washington DC, and New York City, as well as visiting water parks and amusement parks. He is on site at the housing for all the student’s needs. He is their go to guy if the students have any issues at all.
Housing is located in Wildwood Crest where there is access to the beach communities of Wildwood and Cape May. Housing is dorm style with two to four to a room. There is a shared kitchen with four refrigerators for the kids 
to share. The wonderful thing about Wildwood housing is if the students stay to the end of their contract they get 100% of their $75 a week housing back as an end of the year bonus! Incentive to stay, wouldn’t you say?
Wildwood Linen is my star employer of 2009!!
Recently I received a letter from management at Wildwood Linen that I feel compelled to share:
Dear Kristina,
My experience with CHI, during the summer of 2009 was nothing short of outstanding.
Heather Gale, was always available for any and all situations that the students who used CHI, might have occurred no matter how minor it seemed. Her personal telephone number and e-mail address were posted in our Linen Lodge, and the students took full advantage of the information.
She even was able to assist a couple of them in getting a “Second Job”, that allowed them to make additional money. Heather, visited our Linen Lodge resident building, every other Wednesday, the entire summer and sat and spoke with the students regarding any issue that might have come up for them.
Over the years, we have had students that had used other agencies, but those agency never had personal contact with the students like CHI. You could call a “Toll Free” number, and speak to someone in an office that had no personal connection to the student and would give a standard answer to questions that were asked but no one ever responded to assist the student.
If any other employer was to contact me and ask my opinion of CHI, it would be a very firm positive response that the employer could not go wrong by hiring with CHI.
Have a good trip to Thailand and hope to hear from you upon your return.
Best regards – Joe
