Building job skills, friends
Arc volunteers find summer jobs meaningful
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| Erica Burrus photo/ Colin Goodwin washes a Kirkwood fire truck. He volunteered at the fire station as part of a volunteer program through St. Louis Arc. |
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Colin is building job skills through St. Louis Arc's Neighborhood Experiences program, which is now in its 10th year.
The Neighborhood Experiences program uses volunteer opportunities to prepare young people with developmental disabilities, such as autism or Down syndrome, for the workforce. St. Louis Arc is a non-profit, United Way agency.Jenny Shult, St. Louis Arc coordinator for Neighborhood Experiences, said, "Participants learn job skills and relationship building by working with others."
Colin has participated in the program for the last four years and this year spent Monday and Wednesday afternoons performing a variety of tasks, from washing the fire truck to vacuuming Kirkwood's FireHouse 2 on Big Bend Boulevard.
Acting Fire Chief Larry Bierman said the firefighters enjoyed the work ethic that Colin brought to his work.
Bierman said this the first time the fire department has had a volunteer from St. Louis Arc. He said each volunteer has a St. Louis Arc staff partner and that Colin's partner, Emily Spradling, convinced him to try the program on a trial basis.
"The program has worked well, and Colin has showed enthusiasm in every job duty he has done," Bierman said.
Colin said he enjoyed washing the large fire trucks and spending time with the firefighters, who have become his friends.
"I really liked working with the firefighters this summer," he said.
Tuesday, July 24, was his last day with the firefighters.
Spradling, a University of Missouri student and resident of Shrewsbury, said this was not Colin's only work experience this summer. She said he also worked at the Sunset Hills swimming pool, Smugala's Pizza in Sunset Hills and the Gateway Arch.
She said this allows Colin to volunteer part-time and have a chance to learn about three possible future jobs.
Shult said, "This gives the volunteers a chance to develop job skills and form long-term relationships through this experience."
Colin said he enjoyed cleaning the arcade games and programming the radio at the pizza restaurant, and that he also liked going up in the Arch and being at the pool.
Spradling said Colin didn't work at the top of the Arch but went up the Arch just for fun.
She said working with people with disabilities has been an educational experience for her.
"I decided to do the job because I have a cousin who has developmental disabilities and wanted to learn about the program first-hand," Spradling said.
She said her job involved going through the want ads and helping to find a job experience that Colin would like. She has enjoyed her summer job "because Colin is great guy, and this has been very fulfilling work."
"I am teaching him some French and Spanish words," Spradling said.
Nearly 100 participants ranging from 13 to 21 years old have been served by this Neighborhood Experiences program, said Meghan Brown, account executive with Casey Communications Inc., which is the public relations firm for St. Louis Arc.
The program was started in 1997 when a group of parents saw a need for a program during the summer for children with disabilities. They wanted a program for children ages 13 through 21, with developmental disabilities, who were beyond the age of day camp, which ends at age 12, said Rhonda Hembree, assistant director of leisure services at St. Louis Arc.
Hembree said St. Louis Arc then received a grant from the Productive Living Board, which is supported by St. Louis County taxpayers, to start the program.
"This job-skills program is estimated to have provided more than 7,000 volunteer hours throughout the summer," Hembree said. "Some participants have gained employment as a result of contacts built through the program."
Colin's mother, Bonnie Goodwin, said she thinks this will help him become fully employed after he graduates from Lindbergh High School. She said the only drawback she sees is that one must pay to be involved in the program. But she mentioned there are scholarships for which parents may apply to reduce the cost.
Bonnie thinks the program has been rewarding for Colin.
"I can do nothing but praise it," she said.
You can contact Todd Smith at tosmith@yourjournal.com.
