Pre-Vocational Participant's Love Their Jobs at CHEER

 It is hard to find a group of people who bring dedication and a hard-working attitude but also smiles with them. The CHEER Center, which serves seniors in the Sussex County Region, found that in a group of volunteers from Easterseals Pre-Vocational Services. Participants at Easterseals love volunteering in the community, and thanks to this partnership, they are able to do just that while learning valuable work skills.

"The participants from Easterseals have made a big impact here,” says Ed Miller, Senior Kitchen Manager at the Cheer Center in Georgetown. “They’re a big asset for us. They’re very committed and have a great attitude. They’re always willing to learn new things. They are very reliable and dedicated. We depend mainly on volunteers, and they are really helping the community of older people who are in need. It’s great to see the community at work like this.”

Easterseals Pre-Vocational Services is a program ideal for adults who need to build individual skills to gradually 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.

CHEER delivers about 1,700 meals a day and depends on volunteers, like the Easterseals group, to get them delivered. Easterseals participants help with about 2-3 routes each week at the Milton and Georgetown locations. The participants also help with plating food, packing up food, dishwashing, and interacting with and doing activities with the members in the dining room, like Wii bowling.

“The participants get a lot of enjoyment out of volunteering here. Our members love them. I love it. A lot of the participants love that they can do things that they didn’t think they could do,” Ricky Pitts, Chef Manager Cheer in Milton, says. “I would tell everyone that people with disabilities are part of our society, they want to work and volunteer like everyone else.  They can learn these jobs. The group I have in here is just remarkable.”

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.

“It feels awesome finding my place. I love what I do and helping the participants. I love their personality. Everyone has a uniqueness about them,” Ja’Quasia Reid, Easterseals Program Support Specialist, says. “It’s important for the participants to know they are capable of more. This trains them for all kinds of places. It’s a great partnership with CHEER.”

Terry Ross, a Program Support Specialist with Easterseals agrees: “I love my group. They are a team. They work together very well and are willing to help each other. It means so much to them to be able to give back to the community. They talk about it all the time and how they enjoy what they do. I love coming here and giving a part of myself. I know it means a lot to the community.”