"The hardest thing about working women anywhere is balancing work and family. It’s not always easy."
Anita Burdick was born in 1966 in Webster, Massachusetts. While she lives in Thompson, Connecticut, she has worked as the office manager at Worcester’s Oak Hill Community Development Corporation for the past eight years. In this interview, Anita focuses mostly on her work history and particularly on her current position with the Oak Hill CDC. She explains, in a general sense, what the CDC does and goes into more detail of her day-to-day tasks in this busy office. Anita describes how she came to work at the CDC, what her role is within the organization, and the process through which she has gradually taken on more work responsibilities, including human resources, the annual Neighborhood Works Picnic, and general office support. She shares stories about the chaos and joy of the annual Toys for Tots drive, which she also coordinates as a part of her regular duties. Anita further discusses her challenges to balance family and work life as a recently divorced mother of three children. She also briefly touches upon the changes she has witnessed in the downtown area and her memories of the Worcester Cold Storage Fire.