From restaurants to oil field shops, pharmacies, and groceries, employers in the Midwest have brought on a Bea Fisher client to their staff.
Individuals with disabilities are not restricted by their abilities, but by society. This is just one of the nuggets the Bea Fisher Foundation shares to focus on Disability Employment Awareness Month or DEAM in October.
Sherri-Lynn Piesinger, training and development coordinator says throughout October different organizations will celebrate inclusion in the workplace. One aspect will see Bea Fisher posting shoutouts to its social media.
“We usually try to highlight a good handful of our employers, their employees, and the employers will also give us a write-up on how long the employee has worked there, what it means for them to be part of their work family, how they benefit the business. Also, we usually host a luncheon celebration.”
At 106.1 The Goat, the station has partnered with Bea Fisher for some two decades and there is one client that has been with The Goat since 2002.
Bea Fisher supports over 100 clients with varying abilities to live their fullest lives. The organization has 53 partnerships with employers in the Lloydminster area and Piesinger says it will always welcome more job placements.
“We have a couple here at The Goat. We have some people at restaurants around town. So, if there is a business out there that’s interested in hiring somebody, they can just connect with us, and we can hook them up with a really good, loyal, hardworking employee.”
On Oct. 19, Piesinger says there will be a national Light It Up Day where community partners along with the Bea Fisher buildings will be lit in purple and blue colours and lights to show their support.
The Bea Fisher community is also planning its final New Year’s Eve gala this year with funds going to renos at its various homes and care facilities to benefit its clients. The Bea Fisher Foundation has roots going back to the 1970s and was set up by its namesake to assist adults with developmental disabilities.