Miriam Robinson was finishing up her evening cleaning duties at the SunTrust (now Truist) Bank building in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea when Sunshine Founder Larry Calufetti met her outside and introduced himself as “the person who signs your checks.” She remembers him as kind and humble.
“He walked right up to me,” she recalls. “He was such a nice person and so humble. He took the time to wait for me and then tell me how he started as a window cleaner and that this building was one of his first clients.”
Miriam has handled the janitorial responsibilities for two Lauderdale-by-the-Sea buildings since 2011 but has worked at Sunshine for more than 30 years. She has worked at various Sunshine clients over the years but says her supervisors have always been the reason she has stayed at the company for so long.
“The leaders at Sunshine understand that life happens and have always worked with me when I’ve had challenges,” said Miriam, who became a single mom when her son was only 1 year old. She stressed that her supervisors have always taken her calls, even in the middle of the night, and have gone out of their way to make sure she feels safe and secure.
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Miriam lives in Tamarac, Florida with her 23-year-old son, who is studying to become a minister.
“I may not make a lot of money,” she said, “but I know I’ll always get a paycheck every two weeks. Sunshine is like my family.”
