The first thing you notice about CJ is her smile. When I met her at her place of work in the Old Navy fitting room, to ask her a couple of questions about her job, I couldn’t recall the last time I met with someone who was enjoying their job as much as she seemed to. She’s the first one to let you know how much she enjoys her job, and she’s a really hard worker. In the few minutes we chatted, each customer that came in to try something on, she greeted with a smile and helped them to the fitting room, and as they left, reminded them to have a spectacular day. Spectacular is one of her favorite words, as it reminds her of her favorite cat. CJ is one of over 85 people that Community Vision has been able to find work through our Employment Connections program. The full-time team of six in Employment Connections work to connect people with developmental and physical disabilities in and around Portland with meaningful employment that fits their abilities and interests. We work one on one from first meeting them, to participating in the job interviews, and then side by side training for as long as they need to be successful. When we first started looking for a job for CJ she shared that she wanted to work somewhere that played really good music, as she loves dancing and good tunes. Old Navy turned out to be an excellent connection, as not only does it play “amazing music” as CJ puts it, but she gets to work hard and interact with people. |
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