The Power of a Job

JAKOBE OF ATLANTA

Sometimes we encounter young adults whose circumstances require them to assume adult responsibility far too soon: Jakobe and his twin sister lost their mother before they graduated from Fulton County’s Creekside High School in May 2022. With lots of help from his Bridges employment specialist, Sharron Pearson, Jakobe has been working full-time since September 2022 for two of the restaurants in the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel, first as a utility steward and more recently as a food runner. He and his sister now share an apartment and are living independently. An outgoing young man with unbridled enthusiasm, Jakobe is ideally suited for the hospitality industry and well positioned for years of career advancement with Marriott.

A GRANDMOTHER’S EMAIL

In March 2024, Bridges Executive Director Tad Asbury received an email from the grandmother of an Atlanta Bridges participant. The grandmother, visiting from Rhode Island, was impressed by the relationship that Atlanta Bridges Employment Specialist Dominique Siler had forged with her granddaughter, Kyla, a student at Midtown High School.

Ben has been employed since May 2023 as a lot associate at a Home Depot store in Oakland, CA, where his co-workers have recognized him for providing excellent customer service and for exemplifying company values. Ben, whose favorite color happens to be orange, looks forward to wearing the Home Depot apron for each shift.

When Ben applied for the position, the Home Depot recruiter helped expedite his application and interview. Once hired, Ben’s managers fostered an affirming environment for him.

Twenty-one-year-old Ben is on the autism spectrum and struggles with communication, but as each week passes, he grows more confident in his interactions with teammates and customers. His managers have adjusted his schedule by giving him shorter shifts and by assigning him duties he enjoys, which include organizing and arranging carts, hand trucks, and flatbeds.

Before Home Depot, Ben worked in a grocery fulfillment center. Although he stuck with the job for 90 days, the quota and pace required to fill orders proved too stressful, so he and his employment specialist, Lisel Brunson, decided to find a better match for Ben’s aptitudes and skills. Lisel and Ben’s mom, Akilah, are thrilled that Home Depot is proving to be an environment where Ben can flourish.

CALVIN OF PHILADELPHIA

Calvin of Philadelphia has been employed with Cleanlogic for over two years. At Cleanlogic, Calvin works as a production associate for a popular body sponge, a role that involves sewing, attaching a packaging sleeve, and bundling items into cartons for shipping. To foster safety and success for its employees, managers function as mentors, working in tandem with floor aides who circulate throughout the facility to answer questions and provide help when employees need it.

Cleanlogic even invited Calvin’s parents to tour the facility and ask questions until they were satisfied that the company would offer a supportive and nurturing environment that would meet his needs.

Located near Valley Forge, Cleanlogic manufactures and ships bath and body care products, including exfoliators, scrub brushes, and sponges. The company offers a line of sustainable products with certified organic cotton, recycled polyester, and soy-based foam. A socially and environmentally responsible company, Cleanlogic aims to have persons with disabilities make up 75% of its workforce by 2026.

CHRISTIAN OF CHICAGO

After graduating from George Washington High School in Chicago, Christian enrolled in Bridges and began a job with grocer Jewel-Osco in February 2017. He worked at Jewel more than a year, first in a courtesy clerk position, and was rewarded later for his work ethic with a promotion to cashier. Christian’s real interest, however, was IT, one he had cultivated from years of gaming and from tinkering with old laptops his dad left around the house.

Christian’s employment specialist at the time, Mirna Velic, now our Boston Bridges director, learned of an opening with one of our national employer partners, Accenture. Christian’s first Accenture interview, which required him to observe a technician performing a sequence of IT tasks and then demonstrate that he could replicate them, didn’t result in a job offer. He later interviewed for a different job, this time securing an offer and becoming an Accenture location services associate in May 2018. For the next three years, Christian coordinated IT logistics for in-person and virtual meetings at his Accenture office.

In September 2021, Christian moved into a new Accenture position, this one in event express support. He still coordinates IT logistics, but now on a much larger scale; these days, Christian produces virtual department and market-wide town hall meetings for 200 to 2,000 attendees.

The interpersonal skills Christian developed at Jewel, and the ability to work under pressure in a grocery checkout line, came in handy at Accenture. At Jewel, Christian learned to remain calm—even when others are not. Jewel instilled in him the professionalism and composure needed for his Accenture roles.

Christian is now 26 and comfortable talking about his autism and the stigma and bullying common among students who receive special education services. In an interview, he recounted that Mirna Velic believed in his potential when others didn’t. No matter how much effort he put into getting a job, Christian said that Mirna worked even harder to make his IT dream a reality.

When Christian was ready to live on his own, Mirna helped him avoid the pitfalls and scams designed to target inexperienced apartment hunters. “Bridges was the spark that ignited my career and adult independence, and without Mirna and her support, the life, friends, and mentors I have now would have taken years longer to realize.”

AN EMAIL FROM GRATEFUL MOM IN DALLAS

AISHA BUFORD OF CHICAGO

Chicago Bridges alumna Aisha Buford-Morrison got early work experience as a sales associate with Dylan’s Candy Bar. She performed so well that Bridges helped her progress into a role with Accenture as a location services associate, a position she held for more than four years.

Since August 2021, Aisha has worked as a claims assistant with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, where she is a member of the union with full benefits, including a pension.

At a Bridges event held in October 2023 at the Dallas Marriott Uptown, we recognized program alumnus Paul of Grapevine, TX. Paul has been employed more than four years at Michael’s, the arts and crafts store.

Paul, now 25, is pictured below with his senior youth employment specialist, Erica Jones, and his human resources manager from Michaels, Lauren Tarpley.

Paul’s mom, Heather, feared that her son, who has an intellectual disability, would never be able to get a job. Heather wrote a detailed testimonial explaining what Bridges has meant to her and Paul. To the right is an excerpt.

A CULINARY WORK ANNIVERSARY

A graduate of Moises Molina High School, Pedro, 21, has already surpassed 18 months of employment at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel, where he works full-time as a prep cook.

Renaissance Human Resources Manager Blanca Barbosa says “Pedro is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is so sweet and kind and loves learning new culinary techniques. He even helps us recruit and has referred multiple people to apply for our openings.”