Despite their ability and desire to work, many people with a developmental disability are unemployed or underemployed. 

Strive is an organization working to support people in our community with disabilities, and one way it does that is with job training and placement.

It’s helped fill open jobs at several local businesses, including Del Taco.

Wendy Newsom has been working there since it opened.

Strive is helping her as she adjusts and says Wendy is excelling.  The positive impact her job is having is impossible not to notice.

Wendy also says she likes her job.

“They are willing to work with people with disabilities,” Wendy said.  “We are just like everybody else but we just learn in a different way.”

 Wendy says her job it keeps her busy and helps her feel like she's succeeding.

 Douglas Sorter, with Strive, says, “It opens up a whole new realm of activities for them and they start seeing that not only can I do this but I can go and do other things I’ve never even though about.”

Wendy says her favorite things about work are the friends she's making and talking with customers.

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month.  Strive is hoping to create more awareness and understanding for the people it works with.

Job training and placement is just one of the many services it offers.

For more information about Strive, check out http://strivecolorado.org/