South Jersey Nonprofit Celebrates Adults With Developmental Disabilities Excelling In Workforce
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the month of May marks Jewish American Heritage Month, a South Jersey nonprofit is highlighting several adults with developmental disabilities who are excelling in the workforce.
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Southern New Jersey (JFCS) held a breakfast earlier this month to celebrate six of their clients and their employers for participating in JFCS' Supported Employment Program.
The program includes one-on-one coaching on resume writing, preparing for a job interview and on-the-job training.
While JFCS' Supported Employment Program is rooted in Jewish values, program manager Karen Marks said they help adults of all denominations.
"Judaism is very involved in 'tikkun olam,' which is 'repairing the world,'" Marks said. "Our mindset is to help others to achieve whatever they can in this world."
Two of the honorees are Andrew Gaffney and Daniel Epps, who work in the kitchen at Lions Gate, a senior living community in Voorhees.
"It was very exciting [that] I was a good worker at Lions Gate," Epps said. "Just making new friends and having good conversations and have good jokes."
"If I didn't work at a paying job, I'd just be really bored," Gaffney said. "It feels really good to want to work in our society today."