We had a very successful Day on the Hill in April. President/CEO Mohsen Badran, along with Government Relations VP Floyd Nesse and Marketing/Communications Director Sal Coppola represented ACCSES NJ for this third annual federal initiative event in Washington, D.C., at which we advocate for policies to enhance job opportunities, work choices and services that benefit people with disabilities.
Terrance came to the Easterseals NJ Raritan Valley Work Center in 2004 as a high school graduate whose only work experience was a seasonal job at a department store. Terrance said his main objective at the Center was to “make more money.” In order to reach his goal, Terrance took on the challenge of learning different tasks – some came easily, and others that did not.
While earning his paycheck, Terrance learned many new skills such as material handling, assembling, categorizing, and labeling. In addition to learning these tasks, he worked on his social skills, and basic job seeking skills. He learned things like how to correctly fill out a job application and ways to respond effectively to questions asked during a job interview.
Ultimately, this led to a job opportunity as a material handler loading and unloading trucks at a warehouse. Terrance thrived in this environment, using his new found skills to ease him into the competitive job market. With continued support from the work center, Terrance worked to further develop the traits and characteristics of a valued employee.
As Terrance now seeks new opportunities in the workplace, staff at Easterseals are helping Terrance perfect his resume by helping him identify work areas in which he is qualified. This will serve him well as he pursues other opportunities and help him explore the ways in which he can become more versatile. ACCSES NJ is confident that Terrance will continue to succeed wherever he goes!
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Mary first came to ACCSES NJ member Easterseals nine years ago for assistance with obtaining employment. Mary began as a product packer, but quickly demonstrated that she was capable of much more. She then trained for several other positions at Easterseals, including material handling, palletizing, and sealing. Mary used her knowledge of these jobs to teach other participants and set a positive example for her peers. Mary displayed the qualities of leadership and responsibility, and expressed that she was interested in working in the community as well.
Mary’s first employment position was selling items with her aunt at the Vineland Flea Market. That first job not only provided exposure to employment, but also piqued her interest in a career in retail, something she expressed to Easterseals.
The vocational training at Easterseals provided Mary with education about interpersonal skills and professionalism in the workplace. She exhibited creativity with her choice of apparel and created all of her own clothing handbags and jewelry by hand, something she still does now! Given her experience and interests, Mary was a perfect fit for employment in the retail industry. She informed Easterseals staff about her desire for community employment. With their assistance, she created a resume and completed an application.
Mary successfully obtained a position at a local retail store, and has maintained employment there this past year. Mary reports that she loves her job. Her favorite task is completing inventory through the creation of bar-code tags for new clothing items. She is as eager as ever to help others and train new staff and credits Easterseals for helping to keep her motivated about work and be active in her community.
For more information about ACCSES NJ, Click Here.
To learn about ACCSES NJ member Easterseals, Click Here.
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