Every dream that is realized by someone is a success story.
This is the story of a man who wanted a job that he would enjoy. After working several years as a dishwasher in one of the busiest restaurants in the area, our man asked for support to find a job he could look forward to going to every day. He and his Employment Specialist spent several months looking in the area for the job that would be right for him. They talked about several possibilities and explored many avenues.
While assisting another person who was looking for a job working with animals, the Employment Specialist stumbled upon an opening at Daytona Beach Kennel Club. She approached our man with the idea of working as a Leadout for the Kennel Club. He had not thought of working with animals, but it turned out to be a natural choice as he and his family own 3 dogs and he enjoys caring for them very much.
It just so happened that one of Arc’s community partners works for the Kennel Club and made the process of applying and interviewing for the position an enjoyable experience. Our man understood through the application process that the job was not his until he could prove he was physically able to run ½ mile up to 14 times per day. To do that, the Kennel Club holds tryouts for all of the people they hire as Leadout as the job is very physically demanding. Our man did his best and impressed the kennel Manager, who offered him a job. They worked out the schedule and our man started the following week.
He has worked as a Leadout for more than a year now, and loves every minute of it. He has a great love for the dogs and handles them with affection and care. Not being one to sit around, our man has taken on extra work, helping to maintain the track and is now a regular part of that crew. And our community partner? It turns out that the comfort of the hiring process reflects the friendly work environment at the track. Our man is well liked and recognized for the hard work he does. He now has a job that he truly looks forward to.