As he meticulously gathers papers, places them in a pamphlet and secures them in an envelope, Ben falls into a rhythm that he not only finds soothing, but also gives him confidence in his ability in doing a job well done.
“If I looked in the mirror, I would recognize what I’m talented at, and what I’m good at,” he says. “I feel good every day.”
For the past five years, Ben has been involved with STARS’ CommunityWork Program, in which participants with cognitive or developmental challenges are paid to complete as many as 50 various hands-on tasks for corporate and nonprofit partners. Designed to help participants with employment and social skills, the program currently has two main employment partners: Cox Enterprises and Hospice of the Valley (HOV), the sole nonprofit hospice in Maricopa County.
According to STARS’ former Director of Development, the partnerships—particularly those with another nonprofit—have produced a positive ripple effect.
“With regard to the value we see in our partnership, it’s important to remember that both STARS and HOV are nonprofits, providing vital services to individuals in need. While STARS works with for-profit organizations, our bond to the nonprofit community is strengthened through the partnership,” he explains. “HOV gets what it requires to be successful, while at the same time permitting our participants to gain valuable job and social skills—which is what they require to be successful. Added to the fact that we are positively contributing to a mission that is so critical, so vital and so human, that we continue to be humbled by it and extraordinarily proud that we can be a part of it.”
Rinku Sarkar, STARS’ manager for the CommunityWork program, has been with the organization for 18 years. Before assigning jobs to participants, she first meets with them one-on-one. “The first thing is to know who they are,” she says. “Each has learning abilities, and there are ways to keep their mind open so we can [best] help them.”
After the initial meeting, Sarkar assesses the participant’s skills to tailor a position that best meets their needs (participants engage in as many as 50 different tasks including cleaning, testing, sorting or packing items for Cox and HOV). When she initially met Ben, Sarkar says he was very frustrated with a previous job elsewhere. After speaking and learning about their shared interest in sports, Ben opened up to her. He has since excelled at his duties, which include putting together 100 pamphlets for HOV.
“Ben is becoming a mass producer. He’s very precise and thorough,” Sarkar says. “He has become his own advocate.”
Lin Sue Flood, Director of Community Engagement for HOV, considers the partnership a “beautiful win-win” for both nonprofits. “Partnering with STARS is the best of both worlds. Not only does it allow organizations to free up staff for more specialized roles, it provides meaningful work for the young adults at STARS who learn new skills, acquire expertise, and feel pride and joy in finding purpose each day,” she explains. “And they are giving back to others. Serving others is a wonderful quality to cultivate and nurture in our world.”
Seeing how Ben and the other participants contribute to the community, Sarkar echoes these sentiments. “The best part of this job is when I see a new participant not confident enough or not sure enough at first, but then smiling and doing the job,” she says. “That is the best reward you get every day. How many people at their jobs get that opportunity to see that reward?”
Ben does. Every day.
By Julia De Simone
