Meeting Recap June 18
There were 29 members of our club in attendance on June 18. There were no guests other than the three persons who presented the day’s program.
President John Thomas presided over his first meeting. The announcements this week included a plug from Kristen Leahy for the WYO’s annual service trip. They will be volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Kristen is seeking contributions to defray some of the expenses for the trip. President John said one of the primary goals for the upcoming Rotary Year would be to expand the membership. He indicated that he is expecting Village Manager Rob Bahan to join our club soon. To that end David Birkenstein announced that there would be a membership meeting at 11:00 a.m. on June 25th. All are welcome to attend this meeting in the conference room on the 2nd floor with their ideas. Everyone is encouraged to bring guests (potential members) to our meetings. Our treasurer, Mark Kotz, thanked all the members who made an annual contribution to Rotary International’s “Every Rotarian-Every Year” campaign. There are a few more days to make a donation to our parent organization.
Happy Buck$ this week were courtesy of Patti Van Cleave, Heidi Sibert, Chuck Young and John Thomas.
Program Co-Chair Mark Kotz introduced the day’s speakers: Jill Young and Emily Raming, job coaches and David Wolf, the Executive Director of “TotalLink2 Community” (TL2C). David said TL2C is a 501c3 that is dedicated to creating customized jobs for people with developmental disabilities. The concept of this not for profit organization was developed by a group of Northbrook mothers who had children with developmental disabilities who were trying to figure a way to provide more meaning for the lives of their children when they entered adulthood. TL2C employees a number of ‘job coaches’ who seek companies who are willing to employ these adults. Then they look for ways to create part-time jobs in these companies that provide valid service to the company and an employment opportunity for their clients – adults with development disabilities. These job coaches work with young adults, age 18 and above to determine the skills they have to offer and the type of work they would like to do. Then the coaches work with their clients to prepare them for an interview and the job skills they will need.
The work is very personalized for both the clients and the employers. The jobs that are created from existing company needs are customized to the client’s personal skills and abilities so that the client is making a real contribution to the company. Most jobs start out as two to four hours per week. TL2C is always looking for new companies that are willing to consider hiring their clients. Their clients normally display the traits employers are looking for – reliability, loyalty, likability, focus, enthusiasm, and trustworthiness. TL2C has a 97% placement success rate and once their clients are employed the job coaches continue to follow up and provide support and coaching were needed. Their clients, once employed, become more self-confident, develop more friendships, expand their skills and abilities and have a sense of belonging that enriches their lives.
More information about this organization can be found on its website: www.TotalLink2.org