Northwest Center
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools

CORNERSTONE gENERAL cONTRACTORS FOUND EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES. bEN AND STEPHEN FOUND ACCEPTANCE.

1/20/2023

Comments

 
Two years ago, Cornerstone General Contractors had a vision: to expand  its definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion to also include people with disabilities. Today, the company not only employs but fully embraces and champions two people with disabilities.

Cornerstone builds new facilities for regional schools so they hired employees with disabilities to work in the office and on the job site. Ben works as the assistant to the head of construction on a job site, cleaning, organizing, and inventorying tools and equipment. Stephen, hired through Northwest Center Employment Services, works as an office assistant monitoring warranties on all products and mechanicals (such as floors and cabinets) installed at newly built buildings, and is working to digitize the company’s thousands of project files, and recently added data entry to his role.

Cornerstone was clear from the beginning that the people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) they hired would be treated like any other employee. That includes compensation—both employees earn wages well above minimum that are in line with likewise jobs in the field—and also includes the opportunity to progress to new skills and responsibilities. Ben is beginning to learn light carpentry skills as he continues to work at a construction job site. Stephen’s capacity for detail-oriented work opened him up to new projects. He’s learned how to scan documents, place them back in extra-large notebooks on multi-million-dollar projects, and then enter them on the computer server. It’s incredibly detailed and important work, and Stephen has proven more than equal to the task.

Both Ben and Stephen have found camaraderie and acceptance on the job, but even more important, they are doing work that is meaningful to them and to their colleagues—and Cornerstone is currently working to expand both employees’ hours.

“People see what Ben and Stephen have learned on the job,” says DEI Director Vicki Puckett. “Don’t underestimate what someone with IDD can do.”

Help Northwest Center Close the Employment Gap for People with Disabilities
The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice the national average. Your support can help more job seekers like Stephen and Ben find employment where they can thrive, and more employers like Cornerstone find the perfect additions to their workforce.
Comments

With a Job at Bean Box, Alex Makes Contributions and Connections

4/15/2021

Comments

 
Alex stands along side manager Kathy Tuan infront of shipping boxes and supplies. He is wearing a lime green shirt and she is wearing a pink button down.
Alex works at Bean Box with E-commerce Fulfillment Manager Kathy Tuan.
It’s an average work day at Bean Box for Alex. At a long row of tables, he packs samples of fragrant coffee into boxes to be mailed out to subscribers. He chats with employees who stop by to drop off supplies. He joins coworkers in the break area at lunch.

The fact that this day is so average is what makes it so important, says Alex’s mom Larisa. Because until very recently, she wasn’t sure it would happen at all.

Alex, who was diagnosed with Autism as child, has spent much of his life excluded from social activity with peers, his mom says. “Alex can’t really read social cues, so it’s tough for him.”

Work has posed more challenges. When Alex was working in a mail room as part of a school-to-work transition program, he became overwhelmed, walked away, and got lost.

“Then they put a full-time assistant with him,” Larisa remembers. “But they said, ‘We’re not sure he’s going to be in any kind of paid position ever.’ We didn’t have much hope.”

After graduation in 2020, Alex found a warehouse job through Northwest Center Employment Services, but he had trouble adjusting to an unpredictable work schedule.

The one bright spot in Alex’s week was playing Special Olympics sports. Then COVID-19 struck.

“When everything got closed down, he was crushed for months,” Larisa says.  “He was not able to connect with anybody.”

Then, in late summer 2020, Northwest Center Employment Services got a call from Ben Adler, director of operations for Seattle-based coffee subscription company Bean Box. Adler was interested in hiring people with disabilities because his mother has taught special education for 20 years. “She always talked about people in terms of what they’re capable of doing,” he says. “Instead of focusing on disability, she focused on ability.”
Alex, wearing a lime green t-shirt, is smiling and pushing a rolling cart full of Bean Box orders.
Northwest Center Employment Services walked through the Bean Box operation with Adler, then brought several job seekers to the company to try out job tasks such as folding boxes, sealing candy into bags, and packing sampler boxes. Adler hired three Northwest Center clients in October 2020, and Alex was one of them.

The difference in Alex is noticeable, says Larisa. “He’s excited about his job, for a change,” she says. “When he comes home, he’s smiling.”
“I like this job,” Alex says. “I get to talk to other people. I really enjoy that I get to work at Bean Box.”

“It’s a big thing for Alex to be engaged,” Larisa continues. “At Bean Box, people are nice to him and he understands what he’s supposed to do. They treat him like a valued team member.”

That’s because Alex, and every other client hired through Northwest Center Employment Services, is a valued team member, says Adler. “We’re not just providing people with work; we’re able to get things done more efficiently because they’re really good at the things that they’re doing every day,” he says.

And while Alex still has job coaches as he works to answer questions and help him stay on task, these days he needs much less support.

“I am really, really hopeful that eventually Alex will be able to go in by himself, start the task, and finish the shift,” says Larisa. “Even a year ago, we thought that would never happen. But now I see it happening.”

Comments

    Our Blog

    Northwest Center is passionate about equal rights, anti-ableism, and full inclusion for people with disabilities. Thank you for reading.

    Categories

    All
    Announcement
    Articles
    Autism
    Back To Work
    Business
    Campaigns
    CEO Letter
    Early Intervention
    Early Supports
    Employment
    Employment Services
    Events
    History
    Kids
    Media
    News
    Stories

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Picture
LEARN MORE
About Us
Our Enterprises
Career
Blog

News
Contact Us
SERVICES
Early Supports
Early Learning
Transition Services
Supported Employment
Job Development
​
NWC Businesses
DONATE
Financial Gifts
Donate Clothing
Donate Vehicle
Events
Partnerships
INFORMATION
Sponsorship
Executive Team
Our Board

Annual Report
Publications
Privacy Policy
Financial Statements
The Big Blue Truck 
Big Blue Truck Icon and Donate Button

Picture of CARF Logo
CARF has accredited Northwest Center for its Employment Services
1119 SW 7th Street, Renton, WA 98057 | 206.285.9140
© 2021 Northwest Center
Northwest Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Tax ID 91-0786790
​
Certain employment services and programs and social enterprise activities are offered through Northwest Center Services, the sister organization of Northwest Center.
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools