Melissa
Carroll, 42, knew what kind of job she wanted.
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Melissa works at Café Yumm East in Bend.
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“I
told them, ‘I want to work in a restaurant. I like talking to people and making
tips,” Melissa said.
Melissa
was in a sheltered workshop setting. She worked with her service coordinator
and with Cortney Gibson, an Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD)
specialist with the Bend Vocational Rehabilitation office, on finding a good
community job match. She started working at Café Yumm in May 2015.
“She
volunteered at Café Yumm to see if it was a good fit,” said Erica Drake, a
regional employment specialist with the Office of Developmental Disability
Services (ODDS). Erica helped Melissa in her previous role as a service
coordinator at the Deschutes County Developmental Disability Office.
“She
made it clear she wanted to work in a restaurant, be around people, and make
tips.”
Kloe
Olkowski is manager of the east Bend location of Café Yumm. She said Melissa’s
hard work and loyalty has been invaluable at the café.
“We
had only been open four months and had a lot of turnover during that time,”
Kloe said. “I need an employee who wants to work and wants to be here and works
super hard. Melissa’s enthusiasm and work ethic has influenced the other
employees to bring their best to work.”
Melissa’s
job involves clearing and cleaning tables and bringing trays and dishes back to
the kitchen. She also does food prep, including rinsing and sorting the organic
black beans that Café Yumm includes with so many of its dishes.
“I’m
so popular with the customers and the other employees,” Melissa said, laughing.
“I’ve got so many friends here. One of the girls, she calls me ‘chica.’ It’s my
nickname.”
In
addition to working at Café Yumm, Melissa also is in Special Olympics’ bowling
league.
“I
got a $20 tip the other day,” Melissa said, proudly nodding. “I put it in the
bank. I’m saving to get a special bowling ball that’s easier for my hands.”
Melissa,
who celebrates her birthday on Christmas, is having a birthday party at the
bowling alley. She said she wants her Café Yumm coworkers to join her.
“I
want you to come and meet my other friends,” Melissa said to Kloe.
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Melissa (left) and her manager Kloe at Café Yumm
East in Bend.
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Melissa
said she has some advice for people who experience I/DD and may be fearful
about working in the community.
“Be
brave,” she said. “Be yourself. Say what you like to do. Like me, I said, ‘I
want to work in a restaurant.’ And boom, I got it.”
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