(WSVN) - A mother has helped hundreds of special needs adults cook up a career they love. This South Florida success story is tonight’s 7 Spotlight. Here’s 7’s Robbin Simmons.
James Garcon grew up wanting to be a chef. He started watching cooking shows when he was a kid.
James Garcon, sous-chef: “I used to always, like, see how they would make certain foods and certain things, and it and inspired me to have that, alongside my mother, cooking.”
But it wasn’t until he discovered The de Moya Foundation that he was finally able to realize his dreams.
Jorge de Moya, The de Moya Foundation. “James feels like right now, he is a career-driven chef. You know, he’s thrilled.”
Jorge de Moya says his mother created the foundation after watching his brother struggle to find work because of his developmental disabilities.
The idea is to help special needs adults find careers and companies learn what these employees need.
Jorge de Moya: “We discovered as he was working, that the education and the training for the employers was lacking. And there were all of these gaps, so my mom came up with the program and a very unique model that bridges those gaps.”
The foundation works with local companies to find jobs that will match a person’s special skill set.
James was a perfect fit for a position in a kitchen.
Jorge de Moya: “He’s always, you know, sticking to the recipe. He’s a creature of habit, and he, you know, never likes to deviate too much from the recipe.”
But finding the right workers for the job is only part of the program.
Jorge de Moya: “We come in and we provide disability sensitivity training. Our model is also very intense. Our job coaches are there every day for the first three to four weeks, to really lay down a groundwork and a foundation.”
James has been cooking at Tank Brewing in Doral for five years.
He’s moved up the ladder and is now the sous-chef. His success here has inspired him to have even bigger dreams.
James Garcon: “It’s felt pretty exciting, because I have a dream of mine to have a personal food truck of my own.”
And that’s the ultimate dream for the de Moya family: seeing a young worker not just find a job but thrive.
The de Moya foundation is always looking for companies to hire their workers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
demoyafoundation
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