Voc Ed, The Marriott and Walgreens
Members of Tochnit Avodah, the Vocational Training Program,
work in camp for three hours each day.
They work in the gan, the mercaz, the dining room, the education
department, on the ropes course and in the guest house.
Wednesdays is everyone’s day off. We take trips which are sometimes fun,
sometimes educational and sometimes both.
On the last Wednesday of camp, we had the opportunity to see if the job
skills we are learning are preparing us for the “world of work.”
Thanks to the generosity of Fairfield Inn by Marriott and
Voc Ed got a taste of two very different work environments. Both companies are leaders in hiring and
training people with disabilities.
At Marriott, we got a “back of the house” tour, where we got
to see rooms being made, and laundry being washed in huge, industrial
machines.
At Walgreens, we was items being scanned, and put in bins
for distribution. What a treat to see
one of our Tikvah friends, Aaron Rudolph, working at his “detrash” station,
opening 90 boxes per hour and placing the items in bins! Walgreens is a true leader—they employ
approximately 200 people with special needs—out of a total of 430 workers.
We returned to camp tired and inspired—about what visionary
companies can accomplish. It is
comforting to know that some companies recognize that by “thinking out of the
box” and making accommodations, people with disabilities can be very productive!