Food Businesses Find Valuable Employees at The Arc

By Janene Holzberg

Carleigh Shores has a radiant disposition that is apparent when she works. And with two part-time jobs procured for her by The Arc of Howard County, she has the good fortune to be involved with two establishments that have unique niches in the food market: Fruit Flowers on Main Street in Laurel and with Rita Alexander at Let's Eat in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center in Ellicott City.
"It's fun to be in two different places each week," said Shores, who has cognitive and developmental disabilities. "When I'm with Patty [Waters, her boss at Fruit Flowers], I listen to her talk with the customers and everyone is very nice. I do lots of different things, like place grapes on skewers or wash the lettuce for the fruit arrangements, which are really pretty.
"Let's Eat (where customers assemble dinner components to take home for cooking) is such a cool concept, too," she added. "I also like working there."

Working It Out
Waters, who hired Shores soon after opening her business, said she had been searching for the right franchise when she saw the fruit arrangements made by her company, formerly called Incredibly Edible Delites.
"When I saw these bouquets of fruit, they just made me smile," Waters recalled of the arrangements, which are made from fresh fruits cut and arranged to resemble flowers. With her associate degree in culinary arts and her background in catering sales, she decided the business would be the perfect fit for her.
Waters made the decision to hire a worker through The Arc because she had experience with similar organizations through a former employer in Pennsylvania. "I was so excited when I met Carleigh, because she was so fun and outgoing," she said. "She likes her work to be systematic, which works out well for us."
"Fruit Flowers has been such a good opportunity for Carleigh because Patty and her staff are able to give her so much individual attention," said Mark Breaux, The Arc employment specialist who works with Shores.
"It's not always easy. Everybody has good and bad days," said Waters. "But Carleigh is a wonderful person and we always work it out."
Alexander, the manager of Let's Eat, started working with Carleigh nearly a year ago. "She is a lot of fun to be around and she loves to laugh and tell jokes," she said.
"She's a delightful young lady and it's awesome to see how far she's come since working here," Alexander said. "She does what she's asked to do and it's pretty easy to have her around."

The Arc Works
Let's Eat caters to today's busy families in particular, but draws customers of all ages who appreciate the quality and variety of the foods offered, said Alexander, who formerly worked at Historic Oakland in Columbia.
"It's really good food that you wish you had time to make at home," she said. "By pre-assembling meals here, a family can get a meal on the table with little mess in their kitchen."
"Let's Eat is a great example of the kind of partnership we strive for with area employers," Breaux said. "Rita is always accessible to Carleigh's job coaches and truly sees success as a team effort."
"I hope other people will take the step to hire someone from The Arc," said Alexander. "It's an honor that Carleigh trusts me to be a part of her life."
Waters is with the program as well. "Employers should give The Arc workers a chance," she said. "Carleigh is wonderful person who will always have a job with me."
The Arc of Howard County was started by a group of parents in 1961 as an advocacy and support group. From its grassroots beginnings, it has grown to become one of Howard County's largest employers and provides housing, job placement, vocational training and a variety of individual and family support services to people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their families.

The Arc is constantly searching for employers interested in hiring the individuals they serve. Prospective employers should call The Arc at 410-730-0638 for more information.