Northwest Center Disability Blog - Northwest Center

Emily Celebrates 10 Years as an Employee—and 29 with Northwest Center

11/28/2018

Emily’s coworkers surprised her on her 10th anniversary with a meeting with her idol Lauren Potter.

Emily has been an integral part of the team at Northwest Center Kids for ten years, but she’s been part of the Northwest Center family for much longer than that.

Emily, an aide at Northwest Center Kids at Chinook, attended the school as a child. In fact, a framed photo of Emily as a baby still hangs at one of our schools today.

“Right out of high school, Emily started her career at Northwest Center,” says her mom Marilyn. “It was a godsend because it fit her perfectly and felt like home since she attended there as a child.

“It’s like she never left,” Marilyn continues. “She grew up with a couple of teachers there and came home to family.”

In her job as an aide, Emily ensures the kids’ nap mats are clean and then sets them up for the day. She also prepares the motor room and classrooms before school starts for the day.

“This is my dream job and I’m just so happy that I’m working here at a place where I literally grew up in,” says Emily. “My coworkers are fun to work with and it’s awesome knowing that I’m making a difference in kids’ lives on a daily basis.”

One more dream came true for Emily on her 10-year work anniversary when she met her all-time idol Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome who was the keynote speaker at our Golden Hearts Luncheon in October. Emily’s coworkers arranged a surprise meeting with the two of them.

“Oh, my word, I didn’t know what to say when I first met Lauren and told her I was her biggest fan,” says Emily. “We became instant friends and I’m the luckiest girl in the world now!”

Emily’s parents are grateful to NWC for giving their daughter an opportunity to meet her idol and for ten years of employment.

“I’m glad we followed our gut to keep an open mind about our daughter’s future despite what others said to us,” Marilyn says. “We truly appreciate Northwest Center’s guidance and support and their dedication to inclusion.”

Your Donations in Action: Inclusive Employment at Value Village™

11/28/2018

When you give to The Big Blue Truck™, you’re not only keeping clothing and household goods out of landfills; you’re making employment possible for people of all abilities.

Dani works at Value Village to sort hangers and return clothes from dressing rooms. With the help of an employment coach from Northwest Center, Dani has found success at Value Village. In fact, when you ask her what she likes best about her job, her answer is “Everything!”

See Dani in action in this short video—and thank you for making it possible for great employees like Dani to find jobs they love!

Meet Anna: Donut Engineer

11/28/2018

It takes a lot of skill to become an artisan of donuts, and that’s what Anna is beginning to master. As a “donut engineer” at Retro Donuts in Spokane, one of Anna’s many responsibilities is to make sure the sweet treats are filled with delicious creams and jams. It’s a work of art.

“I take a regular donut and grind it up a bit and then push the fillings inside,” Anna says. “It’s a lot of fun and so rewarding knowing that someone is going to really enjoy eating it.”

Joe Fine, creator and owner of Retro Donuts, learned about Anna through Theresa Ray, an employment consultant with Northwest Center Employment Services. Fine immediately saw an excellent role for Anna as a donut engineer, a position she has now held for more than a year.

“Workplace inclusion is vital,” Fine says, “as long as owners and managers support their employees by providing more than just menial tasks for them.”

Anna says that working at Retro Donuts lifts her spirits every day. “My coworkers treat me with respect and accept me for who I am,” she says. “It means the world to me!”

She also enjoys sharing her poetry with coworkers—she’s been writing poetry since childhood (her first work, “Froggie,” was about a frog her parents spotted when she was young).

“I love to read and write poetry almost every day and learned that there’s no right or wrong way to write it,” she says. “I just write a poem how I’m feeling that day and it’s awesome.”

“We don’t view Anna as different than anyone else that works here,” Fine says. “We work together as a team and fully understand everyone’s contribution to the team. We have the same expectations of every employee, based on their developing abilities.”

They’re expectations that Anna is happy to live up to.

“I’m pretty pooped at the end of the day,” she says. “But I feel great!”

Crystal brings Joy—and Precision—to Rylie Cakes

8/24/2018

In the back of Makers Mercantile in Kent sits a bakery; a bakery with a spotlessly cleaned kitchen.

“I have worked many places in the industry and no one has been as thorough as Crystal,” said Rumi, head chef at Rylie Cakes.

Crystal has worked at Rylie Cakes for a year.

Northwest Center Kids to launch EPIC, Critical Therapy for Children with Autism

5/30/2018

Kam grabs a slice of “watermelon” from the play food on his family’s coffee table. He pretends to eat it, then offers some to Ricky, his dad.

It’s more than a happy family moment, says Susannah Major, a Speech Language Pathologist with Northwest Center Kids. “This is huge,” she enthuses. “Pretend play is such a prerequisite for language.”

Mihret is a Top Performer

1/22/2018

While to some, top performer may seem like a minor achievement, for many people with disabilities their whole lives have passed without ever being recognized for their contribution.

When a new shift begins, associates clock in and head to “Stand Up,” an area of the warehouse where managers go over daily announcements and celebrate top performers in front of their coworkers. For Mihret, who has worked for just over six months, Stand Up became a goal from day one.

Mihret, born in Ethiopia, is deaf yet does not know American or Universal Sign Language. English is her second language and this makes communication and connection difficult for her. Yet in June 2017, Mihret came into work and saw her name, written in big green letters. Mihret was awarded top performer. Two days later, Mihret achieved her goal yet again. In fact, that day, three out of the four top performer awards were given to associates placed by Northwest Center, all with diagnosed disabilities.

A Foot in the Door at Amazon—then Something More

12/4/2017

By Richard Solomon, Lead Employment Support Coordinator
“One second.”

Conlan holds up a finger and furrows his brow, focused on the screen in front of him. He’s working as a Problem Solver at Amazon’s Prime Now warehouse (UWA1) in Kirkland, a job he found through Northwest Center Employment Services. The warehouse is a hub for Pacific Northwest fulfillment, with a torrent of inventory that gives him plenty to do.

Stephan

7/7/2017

Stephan knows a thing or two about dancing in the rain. An avid hip-hop dancer, Stephan enjoys every day as a Donations Station Attendant for The Big Blue Truck™, no matter if there are sunny skies or some of our Pacific Northwest mist.

While Stephan is a happy, vital member of The Big Blue Truck™ team, it took some trial and error to find the job where he could excel. A member of the School-to-Work (S2W) program, Stephan was actively preparing himself for employment opportunities before he graduated from high school. It took some job coaching and training, but when Stephan saw the people in the Big Blue Truck™ he knew he wanted to join in.

Celebrating 50 Years of Partnership

7/7/2017

Northwest Center was presented with the 50 Year Partnership Award during the Savers/Value Village Annual Partner Conference

Northwest Center is the recipient of Value Village’s 50 Year Partnership Award. Since 1967, we have had a long-term partnership with Value Village to collect clothing and household donations with our iconic Big Blue Trucks and blue donation bins. Value Village buys that merchandise to sell in its stores, and the revenue Northwest Center receives funds education and employment programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities in WA State.

Trevor Shares His Journey to Gaining Employment at Northwest Center

7/7/2017

Trevor Pacelli grew up in Sammamish, Washington and was diagnosed with a form of autism at age 5. As a child, he published drawings in two children’s magazines and illustrated a children's book at age 15, written by his sister Briana Pacelli, “The Kindergarten Adventures of Amazing Grace." an autism awareness book. At 19, he wrote a book in the "Six-Word Lessons" series to help people with autistic children in their families understand how an autistic person really thinks and feels. He is a graduate of Arizona State University in Film and Media Studies. Trevor recently joined the team at Northwest Center in July 2017.

Trevor shares his journey to gaining employment at NWC and his experience with workforce inclusion.

As an individual on the autism spectrum who has gone through several interviews over the years, I could tell you a lot about my long, endless job search. While confidence wavered on when or if I would find a job in key moments of my life, my jobs across the last five years served to teach me plenty of useful skills, as well as some important wisdom about workforce inclusion.

Northwest Center’s Got Talent

5/8/2017

Written by: Amy & Connor Doran
Edited by: Jennifer Owen

It started as a hobby. Pulling a string, defying gravity with every twist and turn of his body, Connor Doran knows how to fly a kite. He enjoyed gliding his kite through the crisp Washington air, but it wasn’t until 2009 that he thought to share his talents with the rest of the country.

For Northwest Center Integrated Facility Services, Cleaning Means Better Business Practices

5/8/2017

By: Tracee Christie
Writers: Jennifer Owen

Tracee, Senior Area Manager at Integrated Facility Services (IFS), has been with Northwest Center for 15 years and knows what it takes to succeed. From working long hours to personally inspecting with her teams the 1.6 million square feet of property she manages; Tracee knows that hard work and proper management leads to successful teams.

Innovation Blossoms in Environments that Embrace Diversity

5/8/2017

Written by: Wendy Heddrick & Jackie Fountain
Edited by: Jennifer Owen

Innovation blossoms in environments that embrace diversity. At Argus, the female-run janitorial service defies the traditional insular, male dominated profession with a workforce largely consisting of women, minorities, and people of all abilities. We sat down with General Manager Jackie and Senior Manager Wendy to learn about their model of inclusive employment and all the strides Argus is making in the Pacific Northwest.

“Sweeping Up The Stigma”

3/23/2017

Debbie, who manages the janitorial teams responsible for the upkeep of government institutions housed in historic office buildings and modern skyscrapers.

Seattle’s swaths of downtown real estate are looked after by Debbie, who manages the janitorial teams responsible for the upkeep of government institutions housed in historic office buildings and modern skyscrapers.

Sibling Success: A Letter from the Mother of Two Special Needs Children at Northwest Center Kids

12/9/2016

I’m a mother of two special needs children at Northwest Center Kids. My son was diagnosed at 18 months old with autism. Our daughter, during that same period, was born prematurely at 29 weeks and diagnosed with Prader Willi Syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder with both physical and mental delays.

Brandon Keeps Seattle Icon Sparkling

12/8/2016

More than a century old, Starbucks Center (formerly the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building) is a buzzing hub of retail, office, warehousing, and manufacturing activities. Each day, thousands of Seattleites drive by the iconic building, now home to one of the world’s most iconic brands. And behind the scenes of this two million square-foot, 17-acre operation is Brandon, who prides himself on keeping the facility as beautiful as it has been for the past 100 years.

With Early Intervention, Tiago and Aviana Meet Milestones Through the Power of Play

12/4/2016

Picture of Family at Northwest Center Early Intervention

Amy and Andres received services from Northwest Center’s Early Intervention team

When Tiago and Aviana were born two months prematurely, doctors told their parents that they would need to adjust expectations for the twins’ development. Developmental milestones including walking and speaking would likely develop on a different timeline than that of full term babies. Sitting for the average baby is usually around six to nine months. For Tiago and Aviana, it was much later.

Always a Fighter: Evelyn Chapman, Northwest Center Founder

12/1/2016

On November 19, Evelyn Chapman, co-founder of Northwest Center, passed away. She was 80. It is with deep respect and honor that we express our sincere condolences to her family and to those that knew and loved her. Her legacy and dedication to those she served lives on in the work of Northwest Center and the lives of those with disabilities that she fought for. Evelyn and her late husband, John, an esteemed attorney, were always on hand to provide wise counsel to the management of NWC until recent years when health prevented them from doing so. We are grateful for their tutelage and guidance over the decades. We hope to honor Evelyn here by reposting this story of her legacy with Northwest Center.

It was 1971, and Chapman was on the phone with the latest in a string of Seattle school officials she’d had to fight for years, just trying to make it possible for kids with developmental disabilities, like her son Coolidge, to get an education.

“I was talking to the Superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools,” she remembers. “The Special Ed director was keeping out kids like Coolidge. So I called his boss. I was very frustrated. He had a million excuses: we don’t have any money, we don’t have any mandate from the state, and on and on. I was on my kitchen phone, and I just kicked a hole in the wall.”

A Team for Alex: Early Intervention Works Together for Solutions

11/24/2016

By Katia, Northwest Center Mom

Northwest Center Early intervention has helped me understand Alex. Everybody is so on top of things, helping me and helping Alex learn to eat. Before, I would chase after him if he left the table. Now I talk to him to engage him at the table so that he stays and eats more. Early Intervention has made changes happen.

Northwest Center is different from other programs I work with because there are several resources in your network like a nutritionist and feeding team, so I don’t have to wait for referrals to different places. We have meetings with his childcare, Early Head Start, Alex’s doctor and his nutritionist, which means that we are all on the same page, so there is connection and support. We are all trying to find a way together for Alex to work on the things that are hard for him right now.

Northwest Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. We envision a day when all people have the same opportunity to learn, work and enjoy a fulfilling life. From birth to retirement, we support people with disabilities.
This story was originally published as part of Northwest Center's 50th anniversary project: 50 Stories Worth Sharing

Angelica and Steven Shine at Brown & Brown Insurance

11/21/2016

Angelica and Steven, seated, with colleagues (left to right) Suzie Darst, Kelly Agan, Naomi Takata, and Tracy Johnson

The employees at Brown & Brown Insurance would like you to throw out any preconceived notions about working with people who have a developmental disability.

“You might automatically assume that, because they have a disability, that they’re unable to do the job,” says Account Executive Suzie Darst. “Out the window!” she exclaims. “Totally not the case. Not at all.”

She knows, because she’s worked with two colleagues hired through Northwest Center: Angelica, who works as an administrative assistant and manages the Brown & Brown Facebook page; and Steven, a young man with degrees in both English and Computer Science, who was hired to build the company’s website.

Zach Makes New Connections and Takes on New Responsibilities at Northwestern Mutual - Bellevue

11/11/2016

Last year, Luke Madsen, Managing Director at Northwestern Mutual Bellevue, was impressed when Zach asked for more work to do in his job as data entry assistant. Well, Zach got his wish: he now tracks the daily activity of an entire fleet of insurance advisors.

“I help the first- or second-year financial advisors keep track of the people they call,” Zach explains.
“In our business, you have to make a certain number of phone calls, you need to meet with a certain number of people,” says Luke. “Zach has a system that he plugs all the information into.”

‘It took citizens who cared’: How Northwest Center Changed the World

10/20/2016

It sounds so simple. It was the late 1960s, and four Northwest Center founders—Cecile Lindquist, Janet Taggart, Evelyn Chapman, and the late Katie Dolan—were having a casual conversation with Ralph Munro (then an assistant to Governor Dan Evans, who would go on to become Secretary of the State of Washington). Now that Northwest Center was up and running, the women wanted to do more. Munro had a suggestion.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you write a mandatory law that children with disabilities will be served by public schools?’” Lindquist remembers. “‘We thought, ‘Well, there's an idea for you.’”

Northwest Center Kids: Creating a Lasting Impact

9/28/2016

In fall of 2016, Northwest Center Kids received a letter that started like this:

Dear Northwest Center Kids,

Our relationship started with NWC about 6 years ago. At the time, our family was struggling to get by. My daughter had KLS as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis. These two diseases made her sleep for days at a time, and when she was up, she could hardly move. They also made it nearly impossible to raise her two-year-old daughter.

I had been searching for quite a while to find help. It seems that there are nonprofit groups to help adults with disabilities and there are groups to help children with disabilities but there was no group that I could find that would help disabled adults take care of their children. As a family we were doing the best we could but it was incredibly hard. It was only by circumstance that our paths met.

My Granddaughter, *Erika, had hearing loss. By the age of two, we realized that she was speech delayed. Your school came out to evaluate her and set her up for therapy. It was through this initial process that we learned about the scholarships at NWC.

She was admitted with a very high scholarship. I cannot tell you the relief that this family felt I We had 8 hours a day where we not only felt that Erika was safe but that we knew she was flourishing. Before NWC, when her mother was having episodes, we would have to pass Erika off from person to person. She was always well cared for but the pressure of filling each day with care givers who would work for free was incredibly difficult.

Experiencing Inclusion: A Revolutionary Concept

6/9/2016

At only 11-years-old, Nora’s life story is already full of triumph and success. Following Nora’s Down syndrome diagnosis, her family came to Northwest Center in search of a daycare and early learning program that could also offer her early intervention services.

“It’s the only place in Seattle that actually had that and it was really important for our family,” recalls Nora’s mom, Marti. At 4-months-old Nora began attending Northwest Center Kids, an inclusive program where children with and without disabilities learn and play together. But Nora still had more to show the world that she could overcome.

From Northwest Center Alum to Board Member, Laethan Wene is an Invaluable Advocate

6/3/2016

Laethan Wene likes who he is: someone who advocates for people like himself. Someone who may have a disability, but who more importantly has a job, friends, an active social schedule and a lot of stories to tell. A member of Northwest Center’s Board of Directors, Wene has a connection to the organization that goes back nearly 30 years. He was a pre-teen when he first met longtime board member Parul Houlahan. At the time, she was working for the Washington Protection and Advocacy System—an organization that began at Northwest Center as The Troubleshooters and is now known as Disability Rights Washington (DRW). “When I was 12 years old, when my mom was still here, we made a trip down to see Ms. Houlahan. So I’ve known her ever since I was a kid.” Houlahan helped Laethan’s mother find the services he needed as a child with a developmental disability who would soon enter high school—and later, the world.

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