Paws Up for Developmental Disability Awareness Month

Easterseals and Faithful Friends Partnership Benefits All
 

New Castle, DE— When Easterseals Pre-Vocational Services group enters the room, it is all hands (and paws) on deck to help Faithful Friends Animal Society stay in tip top shape so they can continue the great work they do in the community. While the Easterseals participants are helping Faithful Friends, they are also learning valuable job skills that can lead to full-time, paid employment.

“We couldn’t do this work without community involvement. Volunteers are the heart of our organization because they are motivated purely by their passion for helping others,” Shannon O’Neill, Faithful Friends Director of Development & PR, says. “It’s always a good day when the Easterseals participants are here.”

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of the inclusion of and contributions of people with developmental disabilities. Easterseals programs and services are designed to help people with developmental disabilities meet their full potential and thrive in their community.

“This is one of the very best groups I’ve ever worked with. The participants are hardworking and always so motivated, and I love seeing them come in every day. They have picked it up so quickly,” Alison Romano, Faithful Friends Volunteer & Community Affairs Manager, says. “They come in with smiles every day. They love interacting with the animals.”

Easterseals Pre-Vocational Services are ideal for adults who need to build individual skills to work toward supported employment. Individuals in pre-vocational training take part in integrated community activities designed to promote employment readiness. This allows them to experience work-based learning, volunteer opportunities and recreation & leisure activities which can help them identify the job that’s right for them.

“This is just a wonderful organization that gives to the community and the community gives to them. The participants love this. They talk about it all the time,” Angie Ganges Easterseals Pre-Vocational Program Supervisor. “After our tasks are completed, the participants get a chance to give love to the animals. The animals get all the love they need, and we enjoy giving it to them.”

In addition to pre-vocational job training, Easterseals helps businesses hire workers with disabilities through individual or group supported employment services. Employment Specialists provide ongoing individualized training and coaching to ensure long-term success on the job. In group supported employment, small groups of participants work with on-site support and supervision by Easterseals staff.

“Every participant in Pre-Vocational Services has a goal of employment,” Jennifer Weiss, Program Support Specialist, says. “Each time they go to a new site, they learn new skills. The hope is that we find that right position for them so that they get that paid employment that they all talk about. They are all working toward that, they want to get paid.”

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is leading the way to an inclusive community through its innovative services, which include: children’s therapies, day programs for adults with physical or intellectual disabilities, supported employment, senior services, recreational camping, respite services, and services for caregivers. To learn more about Easterseals, call 1-800-677-3800 or visit www.de.easterseals.com.

 

Easterseals Pre-Vocational Services provides an opportunity for Easterseals participants to volunteer and learn job skills at organizations like Faithful Friends. Pictured (l-r) back row: Jennifer Weiss; Julia Hensley, Shannon O’Neill, Ahnyae Hall, Joyce Hoffman, Siegmund (Siegy) Tomczyk, Shezza Mohamed, Celvin (Alex) Williams, Alison Romano, and Angie Ganges. Front row: Kayla Mullen, Deanna Repella, and Nicole Cunningham.

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