Success Stories

Meet Cheryl

We wrote about Cheryl last year and told how she had been a member of the Sycamore family since she was a young girl.   With the support and training of Sycamore Consultants, Cheryl has grown from being shy and hesitant to being open to try anything new and to be the first person to volunteer for a new job.  Recognizing these employee qualities, Cheryl was referred to Vocational Rehabilitation in 2010, to begin looking for a job in the community.  It didn't take long for Cheryl's Consultant to find a job for her. Not only has she successfully maintained her new job through 2010, she has also been commended by visitors and management for doing such a good job.  Cheryl continues to work at the Center and the Print Shop when she isn't at her community based job, and is still the first to volunteer for any new task.

While Cheryl was working on finding a community based job, Sycamore identified another individual in our Center who would make an excellent room-mate and began working on developing a supported residential site for the two ladies.

Lavon joined Sycamore in 2009 and worked at the Center. She knew Cheryl as a co-worker and a friend. When the opportunity opened up to move in with Cheryl, Lavon jumped at it.  Before the end of 2010, Cheryl and Lavon moved into their own apartment.  They are also both members of Sycamore's Self Advocates group and enjoy many of the same recreational activities.  

These two ladies have met and overcome challenges presented to them through their lives and are now finding success on the job, in the home, and in their own community.

 Amy

Amy is an attractive, bright, cheerful young lady with a beautiful smile.  These attributes, combined with the support of Sycamore Services, have helped Amy overcome barriers presented by her physical condition.  Amy came to Sycamore in 1992 at age 18, ready to move from school to work but she and her family knew she would need assistance to overcome barriers to her mobility issues.  Amy uses a walker due to a muscular disorder and sometimes experiences some speech/communication problems. 

Sycamore Consultants met with Amy and let her try some vocational tasks to determine how best to direct her job search.  In 1994, Amy was placed with Public Service Indiana at their Plainfield site.  Her job was to collect confidential documents, transport them to a specified area and prepare them for shredding.  After meeting Amy and observing her determination to do the job expected of her, PSI purchased a small wheeled cart that Amy could use in place of her walker.  She could move throughout the building collecting documents and return them to her preparation area.

Amy celebrated her 17th anniversary on her job in 2010.  She has remained through two buy-outs and three departmental changes and remains a valued employee of Duke Energy.  Her value to Duke was demonstrated when they re-constructed some unused space to creat a real office for Amy - an office with two windows!

Amy's success is not just that she has a job, but that the job has provided her with ongoing income and benefits.  She has been, and will continue to be, a contributing member of the community for years to come.