A Dream Shared

A Dream Shared was created to provide a place for individuals with disabilities to come and work at a pace that is more at their ability level. We want to provide a work environment that allows adults with disabilities as much time and encouragement as they need to learn how to work. We hope to help build their knowledge of how to function in a work environment, all while allowing them the pace that they need to understand and retain the training. Once they have built those skills, no matter the length of time, we hope they go out into the community and become productive members of the community.

Here are some of our strategies for reaching our goals:
Provide a low stress, low pressure work place environment.
Provide as many opportunities to be successful as needed.
Provide multiple options for working positions, not just basic janitorial positions.
Be open to different individual views of what a completed job looks like. (clothing sorted by color, not size)
Provide patience and understanding for individuals who need extra time or conditions to complete a task.

Capabilities for meeting our goals:
We have the nonprofit thrift store that accepts donations of used items.
We have volunteers who have a great understanding of people with disabilities
We have a board that believes in the mission of the store and is willing to put in the work to see it become a success.

We have opened the nonprofit thrift store and are a accepting donations
We are educating the community on the employees who work at the store
We have volunteers who are familiar with the needs of people with disabilities
We are reaching out to agencies within the community to find ways that we can pay the individuals with disabilities who work at the store.

Next, we will look into grants and monetary donations to be able to pay employees directly.