At our first annual Employment Recognition Event last summer, LSG had a total of 15-20 people in attendance. But at the second annual event on June 26th, our turnout had drastically increased. There were now over 60 people at the Oasis Event Center in Westside Albuquerque to celebrate our successfully employed individuals: family members, case managers, home providers, and managers. The individuals themselves represented businesses like KFC, Arby’s, Functional Aquatics, Restoration Pizza, and Arc Thrift Store. Some of them were first-time attendees, while others returned after the first event for updated awards. With all of these new elements in mind, we at LSG realized we would need to revise our overall approach as we planned the event.
The first time around, we discussed in detail how to highlight the success stories of these individuals as effectively as possible. So, this time, we had to emphasize those stories even further. While there was still the option for each individual to create an “All About Me” display board like last year, all of them in attendance that night went with Option #2: a short video where the job coach briefly interviews them. In those videos, the individuals got to speak on how they have adjusted to their jobs, their experiences with their job coaches, and where they envision themselves in the future. One individual shared that his goal is to work at GameStop one day, while another stated that they want to remain at their current workplace until they retire!
Before each video, job coaches took to the stage to present on how much of a pleasure it’s been to work with their individuals. They shared how the individual’s journey with LSG began and what incredible progress they have made since then. One of my coaching participants, William, worked as a greeter at Sweet Tomatoes for 19 years before COVID struck, and they are now employed as a greeter at Arc Thrift Store. He has adapted to the position amazingly and is just so happy to be there! Another of our coaches, Nate, highlighted his experience with spearheading the “Pathways to Public Service” program with the City of Albuquerque, where individuals receive on-the-job training through various city departments and then secure the jobs that are ideal for them. Nate spoke very highly about the individuals he has coached through this program, Stephanie and Emelia, both of whom have been effective learners and diligent trainees.
Beyond speaking about our individuals’ achievements and awarding them with certificates and gift bags, everyone at the event got to form invaluable community bonds that will last far into the future. Sharing the stories of these individuals, from their own perspectives and from those that work alongside them, is incredibly vital for the advancement of employing individuals with diverseABILITIES. The stories are already powerful, but our Recognition Events are very impactful arenas to distribute those stories more and more throughout all the communities among Albuquerque and the entire state. Being that this event had a considerable increase in attendance and featured a new series of interview videos, we at LSG fully expect that this momentum will only continue into next years and the years following. We are excited to see how these communities will keep expanding and further their understanding of why every workplace should employ the diverseABLED much more frequently.
Until the next story,
Aaron Kelly Anderson
a.k.a. “A PhD on the Spectrum”
