Cameron Montemayor
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A leading non-profit organization and the City of St. Joseph are forging ahead on a newfound partnership that would help provide a host of new seasonal and fulltime job opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.
From Parks and Recreation, Civic Arena, Bode Ice Arena and other fun and engaging job sites, students will get the chance to work in a wide range of settings as part of a new and expanded partnership between United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Missouri and the city.
Renee Cook, employment coordinator with UCP, said the new partnership builds on an existing program they’ve offered since 2015 that coordinates high school juniors and seniors with a six-week job experience at various businesses across the community.
“For the most part it is their first working experience. And we want to make sure that is successful,” Cook said. “We’re excited for that opportunity … Right now we’ve been researching what type of positions that the city has opened. Looking at those skills and really trying to find a perfect match.”
Cook said the program essentially acts as a working job interview, one that’s allowed a number of students to get hired on by businesses fulltime once the program ends. Along with staff supervisors, the seasonal program assigns a UCP job trainer onsite to help students with learning the ropes.
Lafayette High School senior Jaymeson Burns saw his apprehension quickly turn to confidence while working as a cashier at Hazel’s Coffee this week, his first experience in the program.
“If you sometimes are afraid to do stuff out of your comfort zone. This is perfect for it,” Burns said. “People just like somehow switch just out of nowhere, (finding out) how good they are at working one thing and then they find, ‘Oh, they’re also good at this.'”
Burns said the program has not only helped him become a more confident employee but connected him with new people and friends along the way.
In addition to temporary seasonal employees, the non-profit also offers a year-round program that helps match adults and graduates with fulltime job opportunities, an effort that will notably expand with new positions coming into the fold.
“With the city of St. Joseph coming on board, there’s all different kinds of positions that they have opened. So being present and having that presence in the community is so important to us because, again, we’re teaching these kids life skills and life lessons, very important for their success in the future,” Cook said.
St. Joseph City Manager Mike Schumacher helped spearhead discussions with UCP and called it a “win-win” that opens up a range of new and exciting job settings for students while also helping fill needed positions within the city, potentially setting them on a new career path.
He expects the program to start off with a limited number of positions and expand as the years go on.
“I think it’s all of our obligation to try and create opportunities for every segment of the population,” Schumacher said. “We want the folks with UCP to have an opportunity to learn about different jobs and functions that are offered within the city … we’ll do it in partnership with them and with their guidance.”
Schumacher said the top priority is ensuring seasonal and fulltime employees are in safe and comfortable work environments where they can thrive and flourish in the community.
The program is expected to officially kick off July 1 when funding becomes available in the new fiscal year. The plan is to begin offering full-time positions immediately and seasonal positions starting in 2026.
Cook encourages any business looking to hire a student with a developmental disability to contact them by phone at (816) 364-3836 or on Facebook.
A Hazels Coffee employee prepares a sandwich during a shift on June 12 in St. Joseph. Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW
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