Angie’s cerebral palsy left her with use of one hand, now she thrives in her job with coworkers who “feel like family”

Angie always dreamed of working in healthcare, but wasn’t sure what she could do as someone with Cerebral Palsy. Now, she’s the most independent she’s ever been thanks to her job as a food service worker. At Gray Birch Long Term Care in Augusta, Angie gets to help people everyday. She helps prepare food, set up for resident meals, stock supplies, clean, roll silverware and anything else the residents may need.

Chad, her Goodwill career advisor, helped Angie find this job. She was assessed through Vocational Rehabilitation for six weeks to gauge her skills, and was hired shortly after. Vocational Rehab is a Department of Labor program that assists people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep good jobs. At first, she received frequent support with a Goodwill job coach shadowing and assisting her with daily tasks. Now, Angie has moved onto long term supports which are short, infrequent visits since she has gained independence and confidence at her job.

Angie really likes her job, the people she helps every day and her team. “I love seeing these people. These people are like my family”.

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