CORE, Post continue to collaborate to help people with disabilities find work
By Samantha Johnson Special to the News on July 8, 2022.
The Post Thrift Boutique (Supporting Canadian Mental Health Association) and CORE Association began about 10 months ago collaborating to find meaningful work for persons with developmental disabilities. Rita Bessant, executive director of CORE Association, explained there is a two-step process for individuals, a pre-employment department and then an employment department. “We would start out by contacting people, and we ask if they can give someone an opportunity who has shown an interest,” said Bessant. CORE and The Post are right next door to each other and in a perfect location downtown to be visible agencies. “We would support them (The Post) in any way possible and vice versa, it is a very good working relationship,” stated Bessant. “We work in close partnership, and they have been very supportive of our clients, we are very grateful to them and other businesses in the community.” CORE welcomes businesses to approach them to see if they have a suitable candidate to support their business. “We provide staff with an individual if there is on-the-job training so the staff member would do the training for that business. We certainly welcome any business to drop into CORE and say hello and have a chat,” said Bessant. Trish Richard-Tuchscherer, general manager at The Post, said, “I have one staff member and many volunteers who have come from CORE. The biggest thing is The Post not only supports Canadian Mental Health, it supports our staff because we are a supportive work environment. “The collaboration is unique because there are not many places that employ people with challenges. I think it is the epitome of teamwork, our team working with theirs. I am so proud of it.” Richard-Tuchscherer hired Clayton Eremenko, who has Down’s Syndrome, about six months ago. He had been looking for years for a job but was unable to get one. “I met this guy and I hired him,” said Richard-Tuchscherer. “It was totally selfish. He makes me smile nonstop when he is in my presence. He only gets paid for three hours a week, but it has changed his life. He is one of the hardest workers.” Eremenko loves working with movies, records, books and right now mostly works in that section. The Post also has multiple volunteers who have come from CORE. All start out having aides with them and sometimes the aides are no longer needed after a period. Most come in one day a week, and it is a day they look forward to. There are some who volunteer at The Post for a time, perhaps six months, gain some experience, get a reference and use that to go out and find a job. Richard-Tuchscherer daughter created a short three-minute documentary on the working environment at The Post and their staff and volunteers. It can be viewed at https://youtu.be/VKWVj2W19JY. 15-14
