A year ago, the 27-year-old had never had a job. Now he envisions himself heading to work each day for a chance to serve customers, either by preparing their meals, ringing them up or both.
“I like ringing things up. I’ve done a little bit of both,” Prouty said. “There’s nothing I don’t like.”
Prouty is a participant in the Good Connections vocational habilitation program launched in 2024 by Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley, designed to develop job skills for people with developmental disabilities.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
The latest additions to the program’s arsenal are two food trucks custom-built by Blue Magnolias Trailers that will take program participants out of their regular surroundings
“The biggest thing for us is making sure they’re comfortable in these environments,” said Community Outreach Coordinator Emily Lewis.
The trucks are an extension of the Good Connections Cafe, a fully operational cafe housed in Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley’s main campus, 660 S. Main St. in Dayton.
Program participants learn food preparation, inventory, cashiering, and customer service while receiving personalized support from job coaches.
The program’s ultimate goal is to place participants in private sector positions fully prepared for whatever the job calls for.
The training is comprehensive — including classroom and hands-on — and includes relevant industry-recognized certifications such as ServeSafe, making program participants viable candidates for interviews and jobs.
“Individuals who got passed on before will get a hard second look,” said Amber Hargett, public relations manager for Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley.
In addition to the food trucks and cafe, Good Connections has a retail boutique and a janitorial operation.
The boutique includes a makers space where program participants learn to create merchandise such as personalized t-shirts and mugs, along with learning how to tag and create displays.
Among the skills learned in the janitorial portion of the program are the cleaning and maintenance of the vast number of medical supplies donated to regional Goodwill stores such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs, which are available to the community through a free lending program.
The entire Good Connections curriculum takes two years to complete.
“By the end of the program, they’ll know where they’ll want to work,” said Allison Underwood, director of community services “Maybe they’ll even want to start their own Etsy store.”
Program participants are paid minimum wage or better during their training, helping them learn financial literacy and other independent living skills while preparing for employment.
Case managers work with the participants from day one up through and including interviews at private companies.
Anyone interested in enrolling in the Good Connections training programs can call 833-437-6833 or email ddservices@gesmc.org.
Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley provides more than 40 programs in 29 counties in Ohio and Kentucky including vocational skills and employment training, behavioral health, specialized programming for individuals with developmental disabilities, vision loss support, child screenings, prevention education, and youth and senior services.
About the Author
