We've spent the week building the furniture and assembling the equipment for our expanded employment and life skills training spaces.
It's certainly the season for receiving packages - BIG packages - all with "assembly required."
But all this assembly is far from an assembly line.
Each space has a unique purpose in helping our clients develop skills. And each client will be developing unique skills, often with one-on-one support, working towards goals they select for themselves.
We serve individuals with an infinitely wide range of career and life goals, so we've prepared a wide array of spaces to support their development of broad and specific skills.
This week we've built:
Desks and chairs for office tasks
Shelves for grocery shopping and stocking
Bedroom and living room furniture for housekeeping and life skills
A dinner table for both waitstaff skills and personal hosting skills
Slots for mailroom duties
Shelves for library book sorting
Workbenches for home repair and professional maintenance skills
A checkout lane with a cash register, scale, and bag dispenser
A laundry folding counter next to appliances
A closet for selecting appropriate work attire
(We've also installed all the appliances in our Life Skills Kitchen, but more on that in next week's post!)
We could not be more proud to serve such a diverse group of individuals. Their wide range of skills and interests helps to build a robust community.
By making sure that each of the skills they will need has its own space to develop, we also help to support our community as a whole.
We've also made sure that these spaces are financially accessible to as many within our diverse community as possible by ensuring eligibility under multiple funding sources.
These new space and resources build on the one-on-one or small group support we've always provided in our previous, smaller spaces. We are so excited to see our own growth directly translate into the growth of our clients as they work towards the goals they have for their own lives.
Whether we're designing the function of these spaces or engaging in the day-to-day tasks of our services, we work for our clients and follow their interests.
These spaces will be used significantly by our Employment Services clients. We never push these clients into roles that don't appeal to them or that simply fill quotas for outside companies. Some service providers join contracts with large employers in order to secure job placements for their clients, but this shifts priorities and limits options. Instead of relying on contracts, we focus on equipping our clients in spaces like these for work they find engaging.
These spaces will also be used significantly by any client who would benefit from them while practicing life skills. We know how impactful it can be to have a calm setting to try new things or improve existing skills. So we have designed these spaces with intentional focus on each client's experience.
Our focus on equipping and creating quality experiences is based on respect for all our clients - respect for their interests, their ambitions, and their dignity. There's a lot more besides furniture that can be built on a foundation of respect.
We can't wait to welcome you to these expanded spaces in January!
Contact us to learn more about receiving services.