Clinton1118web

An
Opportunity
toWork
In the hustle and bustle of every day life, between hitting the
snooze button on the alarm, scrambling to get the coffee made, and
getting out of the door on time, it’s easy for many of us to take for
granted the fact that we have an opportunity to work. While working
hard to provide for yourself or your family is seen as something an
adult must do, and they should, it is often forgotten that there’s a
population of people who, in many instances, might never get the
chance to do so—even in limited measures.
Danny Walker, vocational manager at the SON Valley Community
Center in Ridgeland, seeks to change that.
Founded in 2007, SON Valley is a Christian nonprofit that
serves the intellectually disabled community in our area. Through
various services in their Ridgeland and Canton locations, SON
Valley “Patrons” are able to live in assisted living environments,
participate in activities at their community center, and live out their
lives in an enriching and fulfilling way. One way SON Valley seeks
to further the lives of their Patrons is by facilitating their job
employment program.
Although SON Valley has worked to find employment
opportunities for Patrons since their opening, many businesses are
still unaware of this program and Walker works day in and day out
to bridge that gap.
“I talk to people a lot who say they’d be interested in hiring one of
our Patrons but sometimes they might need help in coming up with
ideas on how or what they could do,” said Walker. “I try to tell them
that if they’ll come up with a couple basic needs, I can find the right
fit to help. Sometimes it is really like putting together a puzzle.”
One aspect of this program that has proved incredibly beneficial
all around is the addition of a job coach. In essence, each Patron
that is hired for a position at a business has the potential to have a
“job coach”, who is hired and paid for by SON Valley, and with
them while they are working. These job coaches help the Patrons,
on a one-on-one basis, stay on task and best perform their job. It is
beneficial for the Patrons because it allows them to have someone
work alongside them in a support role at their own pace, and it
also takes pressure off of the organization or business to offer that
specific type of assistance during each shift.
In addition to providing a job coach, SON Valley also facilitates
transportation of Patrons to and from their jobs. Whether it’s
folding t-shirts at a clothing store, putting stickers on bath balms
at Musee, cleaning dishes, taking someone’s movie ticket at Malco,
or helping serve at Chick-fil-A, SON Valley Patrons are excellent,
motivated, and happy employees who sometimes just need the
chance – the opportunity – to prove their work ethic.
Hometown Clinton • 51