This guest post is by Andrea Grady, Marketing & Communications Coordinator of Good Reasons Dog Treats. Andrea 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.
Good Reasons® is a dog treat company on a mission. Much more than a dog treatery, Good Reasons® creates jobs for people with disabilities. Together with our employees, we create a meaningful work environment where everyone receives a sense of appreciation, self-worth, and gratification. We release each other’s “pawtential” every day. Good Reasons® was bred from a love of all living creatures and a deep understanding of the value of a diverse, inclusive society. CEO of Community Based Services and Good Reasons’ founder, Vicki Sylvester, PhD., has been an advocate for the disabled community for over 30 years. When the State of New York asked its network of providers to help create jobs for people with disabilities, Sylvester combined her love of animals with her professional experience to create a company committed to making a meaningful difference. Good Reasons® serves up delicious, all-natural dog treats with a recipe stirred together by chef Allan Katz, an alumnus of The Culinary Institute of America, and produced by an integrated workforce.
Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
Good Reasons® celebrates the importance of hiring people with disabilities every day. Honoring National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a wonderful opportunity to invite others to celebrate with us. We have marked the importance of NDEAM by highlighting our employees on our website blogs and on social media. Participating in NDEAM allows us to join the greater conversation while raising awareness that people with disabilities want to work for the same reasons that most people do. First, the work environment is a place to express an innate drive to learn and develop personally. Second, working gives people a sense of purpose with the added benefit of a paycheck. Good Reasons® employees desire to generate their own income, save money, and provide for themselves. They strive for greater independence. Third, work is a way of belonging to a group of people who join together to achieve a common purpose. This is where work transcends personal goals as our employees all want to contribute to the success of the company and to the bigger picture of an inclusive society. When other companies are inspired to hire people with disabilities, they become part of that bigger picture as well. We fully support this year’s NDEAM theme, America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.
We see this in action at Good Reasons® every workday. We attest to the desire, commitment, and ability of our workers to actively contribute to the economic recovery of not only Good Reasons®, but all the other businesses that Good Reasons® touches, from suppliers to vendors and places that sell our dog treats. As America’s economy recovers from the pandemic, people of all abilities are needed in the workforce. Our Employees: Success Stories from the Commissary Since its inception on August 22, 2013, Good Reasons® has employed 39 people who lovingly bake and pack our drool-worthy, high-quality dog treats. Currently, our inclusive workforce is made up of 19 people. Employees of Good Reasons® work hard, challenge themselves, and leave work each day with new life-enriching experiences. In doing so, everyone around them is enriched.
Good Reasons® Associate Jasmine has been with the company since it launched eight years ago. She enjoys her work as a baker and is an encouraging presence among her colleagues. “I like my coworkers,” says Jasmine. “Working makes me want to do more stuff, like going out and seeing people. It shows me that I have responsibilities and I like that. Working helps me be independent and shows me that I can do stuff on my own.” Claudia, Jasmine’s job coach, is thrilled with everything Jasmine has accomplished at Good Reasons®. “I like the experience of seeing her excel, seeing her grow, and that she’s learning new skills. She’s doing great!”
Good Reasons® Associate Nick has been with the company for almost a year. His favorite part of his job is to pack products for shipping. “I look forward to helping do the work and getting paid,” he says. In addition to his job at Good Reasons®, Nick has another passion. He is a drummer and working enables him to buy musical instruments. The benefits of working exceed the boundaries of the workplace as people like Nick can explore and develop their other talents.
For seven years, Good Reasons® Associate Cheryl has enjoyed baking dog treats and packing boxes. “I like working hard for my money and putting it in my bank account to save for the things I need,” she says. In addition to providing a great product for dogs using all-natural, human-grade ingredients, what Chef Allan Katz likes most about his job is “the opportunity to work with all the people we employ here and see them accomplish the work with earnestness and care.”
We help our employees harness the power of work for a fulfilling, high-quality life. What do they give in return? They make a great product for the market, but more importantly, when people with disabilities thrive, their families and communities thrive as well. In addition, through their work, they are contributing to the economic recovery of our country, which benefits everyone.
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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!
