Sophia Shines at Crema

Community Vision’s Employment Connections program provides individualized support for people with disabilities who seek meaningful employment. 

That means the program assists people with finding a job that is a good fit for them. This takes into account a person’s character, their interests and skills, the part of town they would like to work in, and so forth. Sometimes, this process takes time, creativity, and trying things out.

When it all comes together, the employed person has the opportunity to thrive at work, earn money, build confidence, and move towards accomplishing bigger goals. In addition, the workplace and community benefit by becoming more inclusive.

Here’s a recent employment success story.

Meet Sophia

Sophia has a great personality. She’s helpful, fun, and wants to be part of a team. This year, she started working at Crema Coffee & Bakery in the morning-help position. It has been a postive experience for everyone involved.

“Crema’s inclusive work environment has been an ideal place for Sophia to thrive,” said Al’Exavier Terrell, who is an employment specialist for the Employment Connections program and Sophia’s job coach.

“She feels fully welcomed and able to express her cheerful personality as she does her job. Her warm smile greets customers, and she eagerly supports her team.”

Sophia’s responsibilities include maintaining a clean dining area and ensuring there are enough dishes for customers to enjoy breakfast. She gets all dishes washed promptly to prevent shortages.

Sophia enjoys her work. She also loves building friendships with her colleagues. At Crema, she has a place where she feels like she is valued and can be herself.

This sense of belonging and acceptance has given Sophia the confidence to make strides in other parts of her life. Most notably, Sophia recently started living on her own. Her job coach Al’Exavier said that Sophia really appreciates the increased independence she has gained through working at Crema.

Way to go, Sophia!