October is National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month

Donald Quade, Lakeview Center

Last month GCE employee Donald Quade became a homeowner, signing a mortgage and moving into a new, three-bedroom bungalow just a few blocks from his job.

That's a remarkable achievement for someone who eight years ago experienced three months of homelessness before being admitted to a residential program at Lakeview Center, where he still receives treatment.

As Donald's recovery progressed, he sought employment with Gulf Coast Enterprises and was hired as a part-time custodial worker on the main Lakeview Center campus. His salary helped him purchase a vehicle and finish paying for it in just a year. After that, he began saving for the next step: home ownership.

In late 2010 Donald applied to the Habitat for Humanity program, which uses volunteer labor to build low-cost houses for people who otherwise could not afford home ownership. To qualify, Donald had to: prove he could make monthly mortgage payments, attend 10 homebuyer education classes and complete at least 200 hours of "sweat equity" by helping build Habitat homes.

On the job, Donald is known for both the quality of his work and his flair for building positive relationships with his customers. In August, more than 30 of those customers joined Donald's supervisors and co-workers in honoring him with a reception celebrating his new home.

Destiny Lemon, Atmore Community Hospital

It didn't take long for Destiny Lemon to impress her supervisor and customers at Atmore Community Hospital. A Gulf Coast Enterprises custodial services employee, Destiny is responsible for cleaning two clinics operated by the 49-bed hospital. She takes great care to make sure the job is done right the first time every time.

Within six weeks of being hired, Destiny already had the clinics' staff "singing her praises," said Tim McCollum, project manager for the GCE contract at the hospital. "She really blossomed with this," he said.

Destiny is among the 1,016 people with severe disabilities who are employed by GCE. At first she found the work difficult. "I wasn't used to it," she said. A job coach helped her master the skills needed to meet requirements.

"It's easy now," Destiny says.

She had other jobs, but they seldom provided Destiny with more than a few hours of work a week. She spent about a year looking for better employment before being referred to Gulf Coast Enterprises.

GCE is committed to providing meaningful employment with competitive wages for people with disabilities. In Destiny's case that means she is performing work she enjoys for a company that values her.

"Destiny has a smile that can light up a room," her boss, Tim, said. "It's been satisfying to watch her progress. She is a joy to work with."