employU

Raymond is a former Navy requisition officer with difficulty walking which has limited his ability to work. He has previous experience working for the Veteran's Affairs hospital but once he moved to Florida he sought out Vocational Rehabilitation to find job opportunities that would be fulfilling for him. Getting connected with employU as a vendor meant that Raymond would now have his own employU employment specialist (Tony) to help him find that right job fit. Together, Tony and Raymond worked to find him several paid on the job trainings at Roses and the Salvation Army to reinforce his customer service skills. Raymond is naturally friendly and loves the social aspect of employment so these experiences were perfect for him. With his reinforced skills, Raymond was able to secure a permanent position at Habitat for Humanity Restore in Gainesville as a weekend greeter. He is responsible for greeting customers, sharing daily sales and specials, answering questions, and thanking every customer for their business. Gerald, the Restore director, loves Raymond's attitude, his dedication, and commitment to making every customer feel valued. This position allows Raymond to supplement his income, feel appreciated, find the social interaction he was seeking and save up to visit his daughter who lives in Alaska. Helping our clients find the right fit for their needs and abilities is our top priority and we love seeing them succeed. #employingabilities #disabilitypridemonth #disabilityemployment #inclusion

Kaitlin has always had a passion for working with children. She has held various teacher assistant jobs in the past including a seasonal position at her current workplace, Orchard ABA learning center where she works with children that have autism. She is responsible for organizing the classroom, guiding and observing the kids, and doing activities with them. Starting with an on the job training (OJT) at Orchard last summer, Kaitlin did a great job. They wanted to hire her permanently but they weren't sure there would be enough children gong into the school year to keep Kaitlin on but everything worked out and she got the job! Kaitlin has a deep brain pace maker which sometimes makes it difficult for her to protect herself against outbursts from the kids. Together with her employU employment specialist, Sarah, they came up with a solution. Kaitlin will carry a walkie-talkie with her whenever she is alone with the children, so as soon as there is an outburst she can remove herself and call for help. The goal is for Kaitlin to keep working in childcare because she finds purpose in it and we can't wait to see where she goes from here! #employingabilities #disabilitypridemonth #disabilityemployment #inclusion

Latavia was considering her plans after high school and decided to join our Project SEARCH program several years ago. She excelled at all her rotations and was offered a permanent position which she still holds today. She is loved by staff and this job has given her the opportunity to help her family out of homelessness and continue to support them. #employingabilities⁠ #disabilitypridemonth #disabilityemployment ⁠

In honor of #disabilitypridemonth We want to share some of our favorite recent client stories! Stephon moved to Florida from New York and has been a part of Vocational Rehabilitation in both states. He has always been able to find On the job trainings (OJT's) but permanent employment. His employU employment specialist Tony, worked with Stephon to help change that! Struggling with confidence, Stephon was convinced that any OJT they tried would not result in a permanent placement and his work ethic suffered as a result. Despite this, he was motivated to find a position that would fit his unique skills and abilities with an employer that saw beyond his physical and visual impairments to his resiliency and determination. Motiv8u of North Central Florida turned out to be that place. He started as an office assistant with the YMCA and then moved to the youth and teen center to help as an assistant and counselor to the teens. He proved himself during summer camp and was rewarded by being given the responsibility of helping to plan and implement activities. After learning the skills necessary with Tony, Stephon quickly grew more comfortable being a guiding force for some of the youth. "He loves that getting to be an inspiration and guiding force for many of the youth. The key to Stephon's success was helping him realize that he had more to offer and that he could think outside of his limitations to reach for jobs that he would have regarded in the past as being out of reach. This is my favorite success story in my time with employU."- Tony, Stephon's employU employment specialist #employingabilities #disabilityemployment #inclusion

We are just under a week away from Disability Pride month and if you are a person with a disability we want to make sure you know your employment rights! #disabilitypridemonth #disabilityemployment #inclusion

Help us celebrate our June anniversaries! Congratulations to Amy Garner and Donavan Cohen on reaching one year with us 🎉 Our organization wouldn't be the same without you so here's to many more! #workanniversary #thankyou #nonprofit

We love welcoming new team members! Excited to have you Nicole 🎉

Our organization turns 12 today and we love any excuse to celebrate🎉 We couldn't be more proud of everything we have accomplished and all the clients we have helped. Here's to another 12 years!

We made the front page! Our Project SEARCH program is a a unique one-year employment preparation program for students with disabilities who recently graduated high school. Based entirely in the workplace, participants get the opportunity to rotate between different hospital departments earning while learning and gaining work experience. ⁠This years cohort of graduates was featured in the St. Lucie Voice and we couldn't be more proud of the recognition🙌 Click here to check out the full story on page B12: https://hubs.li/Q02yV4480

We have THREE 5 year anniversaries to celebrate this month 🎉 Join us in congratulating and thanking Evelyn Brown, Carrie Schulz, and Kimberly Amiro on all of their hard work and dedication to our organization and clients. employU would not be the same without you! And a special shoutout to Cynthia Teetzel and Tykeyah Branton on reaching one year with us.