Samantha Jackson is not only a rock star in her own employment, she is pioneering for adults with disabilities across the country. How? Samantha has been working at Savory Spice in the Old Mill District for about a year and a half. She works with Good-2-Go for her job coaching services and began with Savory Spice at four hours per week. She gradually worked up to 12 hours per week, sometimes more during the busier season, assembling pre-packaged items named “Spice N Easy”. A few months ago, the Bend location outsold all of the other Savory Spice locations (each shop is individually owned and operated) product – even the corporate website!
When Matt, the owner of the Bend store, went to an owner’s conference, other owners asked Matt how he was able to outsell the other stores and Matt told them about Samantha and the asset she is to his shop, saying “we were in need of an employee who was detail oriented, could follow instructions, and would notice discrepancies or issues with products. Her attitude and work ethic make her a great leader and teammate.” The owners asked more about employing adults with disabilities, then went back to their home states to research how to get involved in giving more adults with disabilities opportunities in their shops. So, yes, Samantha is kind of a rock star.
Matt said initially, his “biggest concern was how much extra time and effort would be needed from my schedule and, while I was excited to offer the opportunity, I was not sure if I had the time to handle” someone with a disability. Having Good 2 Go involved has been “very helpful in both training and communicating our needs without increasing my workload. The relationship has worked out even better than I expected. We have a committed and reliable employee who is grateful to be working and brings a lot of positive energy to the workplace.”