Partnering To Make A Difference

Partnering to Make a Difference

For many of us who are disabled, the critical question when we are job hunting is – should I admit to my disability on an application or a phone interview? Why even consider withholding the truth? Well, only an estimated 18% of people with disabilities are employed so it’s no surprise that many people with disabilities believe sharing their status leads to an immediate denial of job opportunities.

This huge gap in employment for persons with disabilities is a disturbing statistic, but a Rockville-based natural foods grocery store is partnering with a nonprofit to make a difference in employment for persons with disabilities.

Dawson’s Market, located at 225 N.Washington Street in Rockville Town Square is participating in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This annual event observed by the United States Department of Labor occurs every October. NDEAM focuses on educating and raising awareness about disability employment issues, while celebrating the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

To further observe NDEAM, Dawson’s Market is hosting Cheers for Charity, a monthly wine and cheese fundraiser to benefit my nonprofit organization, Disability Partnerships on Saturday, October 28th from 5 – 7 p.m. with live music by Bones Jones Music. Tickets are $5 per person with 100% of the proceeds going to my organization. The funds will be used to provide adaptive equipment for those who have physical disabilities and need assistance. The Cheers for Charity program started in 2016 to give community organizations an opportunity to raise funds and awareness through Dawson's.

Can a single local business really make a difference in the life of people with disabilities?

As the executive director of Disability Partnerships, I believe Dawson’s Market can. This is the second annual Cheers for Charity that featured Disability Partnerships. Last year’s event was a huge success and it allowed me to use that platform to promote awareness of the widening employment gap between those with a disability and those without.

I am honored to partner with Dawson’s Market. The company embraces a philosophy of community development and economic empowerment. “We believe in enhancing the ability of persons with disabilities to live a full and successful life by experiencing the satisfaction of employment. This is also why we hire persons from the disability community to work in our Rockville location,” states store manager, Mike Houston.

Partnering is a key tool for nonprofits. Partnering with companies like Dawson’s Market enables me to show the Rockville community that those of us with disabilities want to have jobs and economic stability. I’m embarrassed to admit that before I became disabled, I never realized how difficult it was for people with disabilities to find a job. Now, I understand.

That’s why this partnership is so important. It helps strengthen my ability to make a positive impact in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Working together, we can combine our collective resources and knowledge to achieve lasting impact for the disability community.

Disability Partnerships is a 501c3 nonprofit community based organization. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for persons with physical disabilities. We do this with three program focus areas: health and wellness, education and economic empowerment.