This guest post is by Gerry Hartigan, founder of A Farm Less Ordinary. Gerry is applying for our Supporting Small Businesses That Hire People With Disabilities Grant Opportunity ran by my nonprofit KFM Making A Difference. You can learn more about the grant opportunity here.
I hope you can support my nonprofit like I’m trying to support our community. I also produce educational videos to celebrate neurodiversity by spotlighting individuals impacted by a diagnosis. Learn more on how you can help our cause with a small donation (just asking for $3 today, equal to your daily cup of coffee) here.
The mission of A Farm Less Ordinary is to provide first-time jobs for many people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. While working on the farm, and receiving job training/coaching, the growers raise and harvest organic vegetables for many to enjoy. Some of the job responsibilities include: planting seeds, transplanting vegetables, tending to the fields, fertilizing, weeding, harvesting, and working at a Farmer’s Market. These tasks are all completed in all kinds of weather conditions.
It is important to give those with a disability a job so they can be happy and find a comfortable place to work. This helps to make these individuals calm and makes having a job easier because they feel comfortable in this environment. They are able to fit in and don’t have to worry about being left out.
Having a month for NDEA is a blessing to our workers because it shows that people are thinking about them and their needs and it makes them feel noticed.
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Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education.
Have Kerry, one of the only professionally accredited speakers on the spectrum in the country, speak at your next event by sending him an inquiry here. If you have a referral for someone who many want him to speak please reach out as well! Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, parent groups and other special events on topics ranging from employment, how to succeed in college with a learning disability, internal communication, living with autism, bullying prevention, social media best practices, innovation, presentation best practices and much more!
