An Interview with Tom Hamilton
Every Tuesday, Tom Hamilton takes the skytrain from his day program to his job at the Wood and Metal Furnishings in New Westminster for a couple hours.
Dawson Reddick who used to work with Spectrum wanted to give an opportunity to Tom and he needed someone to clean, a win-win situation for both parties involved.
Tom started cleaning the washroom and the bathtub, and sweeps the office area. He takes ownership and pride in his job.
When asked what is his favourite part of the job, he says, “petting the dogs” and smiles. He also likes socializing with the staff and keeping the office clean.
Every week, Dawson gives him a new task so he is gradually comfortable with his duties. When asked, what advice would you give to other employers wanting to become inclusive employers, Dawson replies, “just have patience, because all of them can learn to do the job”.
When Tom receives his paycheque, he deposits it in the bank to save for future use. He enjoys seeing Dawson and doing something to help others.
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The next Employment Support Group Meeting is Friday, October 14th, 2016.
RSVP by Thursday October 13th, 2016 to karen.lai@spectrumsociety.org
- What’s so good about money?
- Why do we work for money?
- What can we do with money?
Why is money one of the key motivators of working?
Link to Poster: EmploymentSupportResourceGroup