Educational Programs Inspiring Communities, Inc.

HEART Vending and Concessions is an employment program for low-income adults with developmental disabilities. In this program, trainees are employed through partnerships with Papa John's Pizza, Levy Restaurants, Spectrum Catering and other local employers. HEART Vending provides a safe, supervised, and instruction-based employment opportunity where all participants are paid at least minimum wage or higher for all hours worked. (This differs from other programs which typically pay a "piece rate" negotiated with the DOL rather than paying the minimum wage.) Trainees work in high profile environments including at the Houston Texans NFL Football games, at the Houston Rockets NBA Basketball games, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's, and for major outdoor events such as for the Houston Open PGA Tournament, In Bloom Music Festival, or the Freedom Over Texas 4th of July Festival downtown.

HEART Transportation provides shared van rides to low income adults with developmental disabilities to and from job training and employment locations.

The HISD-HEART Transition Program began in the 2015-2016 school year between the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and HEART, held Monday-Friday during the school year and hours onsite at the Houston Food Bank. Through this program, HISD high school seniors with developmental disabilities continue with their regular school curriculum with the addition of practical job skills preparation and hands-on work training on HEART's vending machines at the Food Bank and at the Food Bank’s Texans Café concessions stand. These students learn many of the skills that are taught to HEART adult trainees, so they become prepared to understand what it will take to hold a job. They practice vocational skills in the categories of Customer Service, Basic Food Handling, Basic Food Service, Basic Vending Machine Operations, and Basic Warehouse Operations. First-year success shows that all parties are interested in continuing this program for the foreseeable future.

In 2015, we began the HEART Summer Internship Program for youth with developmental disabilities ages 16 and up. This internship, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm for two four-week sessions, gives young participants work experience for a resume that other teens would also get through a summer job. Interns learn and practice most of the same skills as HEART trainees, in a self-contained program at the Houston Food Bank. Through vending and concessions work, they practice vocational skills in the categories of Customer Service, Basic Food Handling, Basic Food Service, Basic Vending Machine Operations, and Basic Warehouse Operations. These job and life skills can help them in future jobs. This program has been so important because other summer programs are unable to accept I/DD youth over 16 years old; through our Internship Program, they get to learn valuable vocational skills.