Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Editor's note: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Cathy Schwartz takes her job seriously.
It may only be cleaning. It may only be part-time, but she's already got her sights set on learning other skills at Steak 'N' Shake restaurant.
After all, she has bills to pay like everyone else. She lives independently and has a dog to care for.
"I work three hours a day, five days a week and come in when they need me," Schwartz said. The 33-year-old sweeps the parking lot, clears trash from the "greenways," cleans the bathrooms and makes sure the stainless steel hand sinks are shiny.
The S'Mores shake is her favorite.
"She takes care of the details," said J.D. Heavner, the restaurant's manager, "She gets to things we don't have time to clean on a daily basis. She's a very good worker."
Staff at the Cardinal Center worked with Schwartz during her transition from a job at the Times-Union warehouse, where she worked for 11 years, to Steak 'N' Shake.
Vickie Lootens, the center's employment services manager, said Schwartz and any person with a disability must pass four milestones with a goal of working independently.
Sarah Montel acts as a job coach. She has to know the work as well as the employee and she stays with that person until they're familiar with the work.
"Steak 'N' Shake has had Cardinal Center clients since the first day they opened," Montel said. "We work closely with the employees. They say what they want to do. The employer says what they want done. This way we don't waste anyone's time.
"Cathy teamed up with us. We made sure she's successful and the needs of the employer are met."
The Cardinal Center has trained the more than 55 employees who currently work for local businesses.
Although Cardinal Center was established in 1954, employment services started in 1976, Lootens said.
"Cathy wants to start making salads, too," Heavner said. "Cross-trained employees mean survival. It also avoids burnout and repetition."
Heavner, who lives in South Bend, has worked with other agencies who help people with disabilities find work. He said the Cardinal Center experience has been the best.
"I can just call Sarah if I need a job filled fast. I don't have to dig through applications. It's nice to be able to call and say what I need," he said.
Montel said she feels responsible to both the employer and the employee.
"One of our clients left his job in a huff one night. That can happen to anyone. The manager called me and I went in and finished his shift," she said.
The Cardinal Center holds an appreciation breakfast for employers each year. This year's banquet is Nov. 14 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall on West Bell Drive in Warsaw.
For more information about the breakfast or the Cardinal Center employment services call Lootens at 574-371-1404 or e-mail her at vickiel@cardinalcenter.org.
