Pocono News Section

Candy Helps People Find Jobs

Candy Helps People Find Jobs - Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 4:00PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Oct 25, 2007 @04:00pm EST
DREHER TOWNSHIP, WAYNE COUNTY - For every candy box workers with special needs fold, they get one step closer to finding jobs in the community.

At the Devereux Pocono Center they package candy for local hotels. Guests enjoy the sweets while the workers enjoy learning job skills and social skills.

"It's fun doing these. I like doing these," said Wayne Armstrong as he put together candy boxes, "It's my favorite thing."

Armstrong came to Devereux nine years ago. Then, it was a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. Now, he loves his job. "It feels like I'm doing Legos," he laughed.

While they make the boxes the workers learn important job skills that they can transfer to find employment in the natural community. Wayne is a prime example. Just last week he got a job as a cart person for Walmart. "Because I wanted to be out in the community and do good stuff for others," he explained.

Now he'll work at Devereux only once a week.

Deiatra Cheesman helps run the center. She feels like a mother to every one of the workers. "There's nothing finer than seeing someone come in learning skills and sending them out into the real world. It's what moms do," she said.

Wayne is just as proud of himself as Deiatra is of him. He told WBRE News he's been Devereux's best package sealer and with the skills he learned at Devereux, he'll be Walmart's best cart person.

Each week Devereux workers put together a thousand packages of candy. They are paid based on how many items they package each day.

They also package hotel guests amenity packs and golf tees.