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We want to inform and connect with the entire Job Path community
so we are all on this path together.
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Partnership with hospitality group serves up employment results | |
For the past six months, Job Path has been paired with the restaurant industry group Together Hospitality. The group has donated to Job Path and offered opportunities to network with professionals in the field, which opened the door for some exciting jobs for people! | |
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In September, Chloe M. was hired by Safety Saints, a nonprofit and Together Hospitality member that provides CPR and first aid training. Chloe's work focuses on the data entry that supports the registration and certification of students, but she’s always looking for more to do.
“When it’s not busy, I work on my Potential Work Force spreadsheet - basically finding more clients that could benefit from CPR training,” says Chloe, who enjoys blogging and travel when she's not at work.
“My boss Jennifer makes me feel comfortable at work,” she says. “I appreciate working at my own pace and having structured tasks.”
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Chloe (L) and Jennifer John with a friend.
Photo by Job Path's Kelly McGrath.
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Asked what she likes most about her job, Chloe says: "That feeling of looking back at my list smiling because at the end of my shift I accomplished my goals. " | |
Jennifer John, Safety Saints’ Chief Operating Officer, says the partnership makes perfect sense because the company is enthusiastic about workforce development initiatives where people are educated and trained to meet workplace needs.
“One of the advantages to Job path is to be able to find someone who can meet the amount of hours we need,” she says. “Our hope is that we’ll have more work and this role can expand.”
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Hudson Creative
“We had been wanting to do this project for a year but it just wasn’t getting done,” says James Hong, operations director at Hudson Creative, a digital marketing agency and Together Hospitality member.
They had worked previously with a Job Path participant on a temporary basis, and when another project in research and data entry emerged, it was natural to bring them back. “We’re a small business, and as much as we’d like to do everything, things fall through the cracks," he says. "Having this flexibility is very helpful.”
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"Together Hospitality NYC was so grateful to have Job Path as our Social Impact Partner for the past six months. We loved meeting the many employees who came to our roundtables and events and introduced us to your world! We hold dear our social impact partners and partnerships. Hearing about the placements Job Path made has been a highlight of our monthly roundtables and knowing that the placements were made through our members is the reason we created our social impact partnership."
Brianna Levy, Operations and Logistics Director, Together Hospitality
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Job path's Kelly McGrath is also featured in a video on Together Hospitality's website with President Kate Edwards, outlining Job Path's work and approach to customized employment. | |
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Every week, we're sharing more stories like these
on our social media platforms.
Please follow, like, and share!
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“It feels really good to be part of something that is really taking on a life of its own. And we are collaborating more than ever… Learning about how other agencies do Customized Employment is so valuable. It helps to have a mirror on what we are doing but also to see how I can improve and do things better.”
-Dara Patel, Employment Coordinator
Last month Patel co-presented at the annual conference for the advocacy, research, and education organization TASH. Their presentation was "Studying Customized Employment to Expand Competitive Integrated Employment.”
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As we begin the first weeks of a fresh new year, it’s hard to choose just a few favorite moments while reflecting on 2024. However, I’m especially proud of how members of our incredible staff were recognized within the disability community this past year.
DSP Nichelle Hemphill was featured in the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities’ #MoreThanWork social media campaign. Designed to encourage people to enter the field, Nichelle was a passionate advocate for this important work.
Employment specialist Johnadam Haridopolos and Karen Waltuck, the Director of the Consortium for Customized Employment, were interviewed on the iHeartRadio podcast, Sonstein Sessions. Likewise, Maria Mercado shared her expertise in employment support and job development on the DSP Talk podcast from Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation (RCWT.) In both examples, they eloquently spread the word about the value of disability inclusion in the workplace.
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From L-R: Nichelle, Johnadam & Karen, Maria, Michelle, Rhonda. | |
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DSP and art group leader Michele Borg was presented with the Annual DSP Award for the entire New York City region from the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation and RCWT. Every week we see Michele’s artistic passion inspire and encourage the amazing artists in our Community Connections program.
Meanwhile, one of our DSPs in Supported Living Rhonda Ndem was honored by the pharmacy services agency, CareRX. In her nomination, she was lauded for her ability to connect deeply to residents, allowing them to live more vibrant lives and develop deeper relationships.
Overall, this was a fantastic year! I’m hopeful for the year to come and grateful for our community. In fact, I think Michele’s words are perfect inspiration as we leave one year and head into the next:
“When you work as a DSP, empathy is everything, listening skills are everything, and being in tune to what the person wants is crucial. It’s your job to build up people’s confidence, to build up their strength so they can accomplish what they want – their dreams. Nothing is impossible and that’s what I tell them every day."
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The New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) released its 2024 annual report. You can click here to read it. | |
As part of our efforts to highlight and celebrate the great diversity within our Job Path community, we will be featuring racial, ethnic, cultural, and identity pride commemorations here each month. | |
January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Action: January 20
Lunar New Year is on January 29 but this year's Chinatown parade and festival will be Feb. 16.
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Staff Anniversaries
Special recognition to staff who celebrated their anniversary at Job Path in December. Thank you for all of the contributions that you have made over the years in making Job Path successful.
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Keeva Sue - 13 years
Valerie Santana - 13 years
Nancy Vera - 11 years
Neaneh Stephens - 9 years
Kevin Crooks - 9 years
Tiffany Johnson - 8 years
Ioanna Papadopoulos - 5 years
Yismel Vargas - 3 years
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Sara Lesch - 3 years
Cheryl Vawdrey - 2 years
Rujean Adolphe - 2 years
Calum Justice - 2 years
Anna Boyarko - 2 years
Kerry Milligan - 1 year
Hibatalla Ali - 1 year
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Do you know someone who would be a great member of the Job Path team?
Click here for our list of open positions in Employment, Community Connections, Supported Living, and Self-Direction Services.
Job Path employees are encouraged to participate in our Employee Referral Bonus Program, which rewards the employees who make successful referrals with $400. Contact hr@jobpathnyc.org for more information.
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Job Path supports people with autism and other developmental disabilities as they find jobs, live in their own homes, and become involved in community life. To learn more, visit our website. | | |
Follow us on social media. | |
We created this video for our 2024 Benefit, but it's a perfect celebration of what we do! | | | | |
