PAID EMPLOYMENT:
ALWAYS A GRAND AVENUE CLUB PRIORITY
We are very proud of the productivity of our community. From Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, members and staff are running Grand Avenue Club. There's plenty to do in our 3 work units: Retail & Business Management (which includes the Water St. Boutique), Culinary, and Membership, Education & Employment. The work in those units is entirely voluntary...and also very interesting. At twice a day unit meetings, 9:30 am and 1:30 pm, all colleagues come together to plan the work and find out who is going to be responsible for what.

Involvement in what is called our "Work Ordered Day" is very satisfying to most of us. Many end the work day feeling fulfilled.

It is also true that the GAC Workday is great preparation for paid employment in the community. We are proud to "report to the community" that we have retained most of our Transitional Employment slots during the two pandemic years, March 2020 through March 2022. We are also proud to report that we have developed new Transitional Employment opportunities: GAC people are now employed at Panera Bread on Ogden Street; we have resumed our TE job at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and 6 months ago we began a new TE at Cafe Benelux, a very popular Third Ward restaurant.

Both of our Employment Support Groups--our Friday morning meeting for TE and our (monthly) Sunday afternoon meeting for Independently Employed members, called PIE or "People Independently Employed"-- have met continuously and have drawn enthusiastic participation from members.

As we plan to continue our active employment development efforts, let us know about employment opportunities of which you are aware. Please contact joeschultz@grandavenueclub.org to get things started.
These 5 Grand Avenue Club members began a Transitional Employment Position in March 2022. We salute both them and their employers!
Garfield Slaton - Outpost Natural Foods
Garfield is working under the supervision of another GAC member who is Independently Employed at Outpost Natural Foods on State Street.
Keywon Brownlow - Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Keywon has been working at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater for the past 2 weeks and is already considered a member of the MRT team. As the theater is located just a few blocks away from GAC, he comes to GAC first before work on most days.
Angela Burian - First Baptist Church of West Allis
Angela says, "I am very grateful for the opportunity to work again. So far I have enjoyed the assignment. Joe and Nikki answer all of my questions and make sure I have everything I need. My GAC colleagues sent me an encouraging card wishing me luck at my new job!"
Matthew McMorrow - Panera Bread
Matt, who has also completed a Transitional Employment job at BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses, is now in the kitchen at Panera Bread. There he joins Linda Buddle, who is Independently Employed, and who encouraged the store manager to work with GAC to develop this TE. A big thanks to Linda!
Wuanette Exum - Renaissance Child Development Center
After completing her TE position at Outpost, Wuanette started this week at Renaissance Child Development Center. Wuanette is exploring a career as a child care worker and may return to school at MATC to acquire the credentials to do this. On Wuanette's left is Belinda Washington, who has done this position for a full year and helped train her colleague Wuanette for this position.

WE ARE NOT ALONE--NOT NOW, NOT EVER!
 
The Colleagues of Grand Avenue Club