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We want to inform and connect with the entire Job Path community
so we are all on this path together.
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JP inspires the next generation | |
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Job Path participants and staff recently got a chance to visit the Lavelle School for the Blind in the Bronx to share their knowledge and expertise at a career day.
One Job Path participant Ruben C. had previously volunteered at Lavelle, and he’s since been hired by the school to facilitate music enrichment sessions for elementary and middle school students.
Ruben says he enjoys connecting with students and performing at the school. (With very little prompting, he’s happy to launch into a few lines of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”)
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“I liked just to be there with the young people,”
-Ruben
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Ruben performs while supported by Job Path's Sakima Aguilar. Photo by Elizabeth Beaubrun. Other staff at the event included Rob Sheridan, Marcia Massop, and Kayla Mormon. | |
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Dave Celentano, Lavelle’s Transition Coordinator, says school staff and students were grateful to hear from Job Path’s “experts from the real world.”
“Their willingness to show up for our students and share their knowledge and experience truly displays a realistic template and guide for LSB students to aspire to as they take their next steps in their career exploration,” he says.
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Living it up in Supported Living | |
Cornell D. celebrated a major milestone birthday in May with a party with some friends. He's lived in an apartment with Job Path support for almost 11 years. Photo by Mary Cedillo. | |
One Supported Living resident went to a recent taping of the Tamron Hall show. She's seen posing backstage here with a cardboard cutout of the star. Photo by Rhonda Ndem. | |
Improv sparks creativity, community | |
Anson Chan (left) and Jose G. in an improv scene. | |
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One of the most rollicking groups you’ll find at Job Path is the newest - Improv, facilitated by Anson Chan. One recent exercise involved goofy ways to introduce each person to others in the group; another had people entering and exiting the room as different characters.
“When you’re able to be in a space of non-judgement, everyone is there to laugh and have fun,” Chan says.
“You’re appreciating everyone for what they can bring to the table. It’s very empowering to be seen, heard, and appreciated, to make people laugh - it creates this whole community.”
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Jose G. is an enthusiastic member of the improv troupe, saying it sparks his creativity. He says he enjoys the fun, and that the skills he’s learning carries over into the rest of his life. | |
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“I feel confident in my energy, it opens your mind. It removes my shyness.”
-Jose
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Late last month I was honored to be among the guest speakers at an event for the sister disability nonprofit INCLUDEnyc called “Empowering Your Employees with Disabilities.” INCLUDE is a fantastic organization that is focused on young people and their families, providing a wide array of resources for people from birth to age 26. The panel included folks from financial powerhouses Goldman Sachs and S&P Global, and the Am Law 100 firm Sheppard Mullin. | |
Together we discussed specific strategies for workplace inclusion, covering everything from the onboarding process to accommodations and breaking down policies to make them accessible for everyone. It was inspiring to collaborate with influential thinkers, and together we can break down the barriers to employing people with disabilities. | |
Focus on Job Path's Board of Directors | |
Our Board of Directors are professionals - both within the world of disability services and from other fields - who provide Job Path with oversight, guidance, and expertise on issues of finance, programs, governance, planning, policies, and staffing. | |
Joan Bell
Joan stepped down from the board this Spring after 20 years of service.
I’ve been involved with Job Path since 1999 when I was looking for a program for my daughter Allison. I was told by a Judge in the NY Family Court: ‘You need to contact Fredda Rosen’ and the rest, as they say, is history.
At that time Job Path was a small and unique organization which individualized strategies and planning for individuals with developmental disabilities. It was exactly what I was looking for.
My daughter had multiple challenges and everything had to be designed and planned around her needs, which could change on a dime. I set up her program and living situation, and Job Path provided help navigating the system and it’s regulations and changes.
Job Path’s mission never altered even as it expanded.
This was a culture that was committed to excellence and I was privileged to see it in action.
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Joan, seen here at the 30th Anniversary Benefit in 2008. | |
Job Path, in my opinion, is the Gold Standard, and I was privileged to have been on the board for over 20 years. | |
Noemi U. reads with the support of Vanessa Palhinhas. Photo by Carly Teichman. | We shared more examples of their work on our Facebook page here, and below you can watch one reading by Anthony N. of his piece, "Augury." (An augury is a sign of what will happen in the future; an omen.) | |
Job Path's Community Connections group Poets, Of Course held a reading on May 9 featuring the works of 8 "Fabulously Neurodiverse" poets. | |
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Every week, we're sharing more stories like these
on our social media platforms.
Please follow, like, and share!
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Help us end the fiscal year with a bang! | |
There's never been a better time to support Job Path: Thanks to some generous donors, every dollar you give from now until the end of June will be matched up to $15,000! Whatever the amount, it all goes a long way in closing our gap in funding and ensuring that we can continue to foster a world where everyone can belong. Thank you! | |
JP staff takes the mic
Senior Support Specialist Maria Mercado was featured on the most recent edition of the podcast, DSP Talk from the Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation and the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation.
Click here for the Spotify link.
“It is so rewarding for me to see the participants identify with their work and feel pride and take initiative to take steps on their own."
-Maria Mercado.
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In case you missed it ... | |
As part of our efforts to highlight and celebrate the great diversity within our Job Path community, we will be featuring racial, ethnic, cultural, and identity pride commemorations here each month. | | |
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Abby Schatten
Job Title: Senior Director of Employment Services
Years at JP: 13 in May
What is one of your favorite things about Job Path?
Job Path's long history, and the positive shift that the process of Customized Employment makes by opening the doors of employment for so many people who might not have had the opportunity to work otherwise.
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What have been some of your favorite memories of your time here?
I was supporting a young gentleman working at his first job in the states, and he was squeezing lemons for lemonade - he refused to use the machine. At one point, he turned to me and said "Abby, I love my job!' and I snapped a picture!
What's something that no one knows about you?
I talk so much that most people know something! I was/am a Dead Head, I grew up in Brooklyn and played paddleball fairly well.
What skills do you think help you work at Job Path?
As a shy youngster, I am making up for "lost time" and am more comfortable being open and communicative with employers in business: Just be YOU!
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Staff Anniversaries
Special recognition to staff who celebrated their anniversary at Job Path in May. Thank you for all of the contributions that you have made over the years in making Job Path successful.
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Marcia Massop - 16 years
Abby Schatten - 13 years
Aydin Perez - 9 years
Lee Weiner - 7 years
Maria Mercado - 7 years
Nadia Khazraee - 7 years
Alison Smith - 7 years
Danyelle Leverette - 7 years
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Jessika Warner-McCoy - 7 years
Johnadam Haridopolos - 5 years
Irene Burgos - 2 years
Takisha Taylor - 1 year
Hadja Kromah - 1 year
Elizabeth Scholnick - 1 year
Ben Wollner - 1 year
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Do you know someone who would be a great member of the Job Path team?
Click here for our list of open positions in Employment, Community Connections, Supported Living, and Self-Direction Services.
Job Path employees are encouraged to participate in our Employee Referral Bonus Program, which rewards the employees who make successful referrals with $400. Contact hr@jobpathnyc.org for more information.
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Job Path supports people with autism and other developmental disabilities as they find jobs, live in their own homes, and become involved in community life. To learn more, visit our website. | | |
Follow us on social media. | |
We created this video for our 2024 Benefit, but it's a perfect celebration of what we do! | | | | |
