Kevin graduated from Community Living Mississauga’s Job Path program in February 2020. Throughout the program, Kevin demonstrated motivation, leadership and an overall positive attitude. Kevin was looking forward to pursuing a career and the opportunity to showcase his value to a company and also to continue to enhance his skills. Unfortunately, Kevin’s plan to smoothly transition into paid employment was quickly changed when Covid-19 shut down many local employers’ businesses and opportunities matching Kevin’s employment goals were very limited.

Kevin continued to persevere and wait for his opportunity to come. When Roots Distribution Centre reached out to Community Living Mississauga’s Employment Resource Centre after learning about inclusive hiring and the business benefits it offers over a year ago, it was clear this was Kevin’s opportunity to shine.

Kevin successfully landed a full time contract with Roots in July 2020. Kevin has proven himself as a dependable employee that learns tasks quickly and shows great initiative. Amidst Covid-19, Kevin has also demonstrated a commitment to health and safety to ensure the wellbeing of all employees in the location.

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially given these uncertain times. Roots Distribution Centre recognizes the value of teamwork and inclusion, enabling Kevin to easily become an integral part of the team. “We are a great team and we work together to get the job done,” shares Kevin, who has also had the opportunity to advance in his role from general warehouse maintenance to assisting with shipping. As his Supervisor says, “Kevin has proven himself to be a valuable member of the team. He has learned his responsibilities and wants to learn more each day. We are so pleased that Kevin has chosen to be part of the Roots team!”

Community Living Mississauga’s Employment Resource Centre is thrilled to work with employers, like Roots, and employment candidates who have an intellectual disability to foster successful employment outcomes.

If you are an employer who would like to learn more about inclusive hiring and how it can benefit your business, reach out to us (marissama@clmiss.ca)!