The Challenge

Like many students with disabilities, Glindys Donis-Bonilla was attending a transition program after graduating from high school.

Before working with Lifeworks, she was faced with the possibility of working in a sheltered workshop or at one of many low-wage, low-skill jobsites as part of a crew of people with disabilities.

The Process

To ensure that Donis-Bonilla had the best chance to become employed in the community at a competitive wage, Lifeworks began working with her before she graduated from her transition program – a process that jumpstarted her search for a job.

From March to August 2016, Donis-Bonilla met periodically with Lifeworks Career Placement Counselor Elaine Hartl to plan for her future. With Hartl’s help, she participated in a variety of job tours outside of transition school hours and saw firsthand what it was like to work in environments such as warehouses, offices, labs, and grocery stores, among others.

This partnership between her transition school and Lifeworks was encouraged by Dakota County in an effort to ensure that community-based employment was the number one option before considering alternatives.

The Outcome

After Hartl told her about an opportunity to work as a food preparer and dishwasher at Celts Pub, Donis-Bonilla had a successful interview and started her new job.

Today she is flourishing in a role that aligns with her strengths, interests, and career goals. And it’s not just her that’s benefiting.

“Glindys is really good at organizing,” said Kitchen Manager Carl Troje, who serves as her supervisor. “I’m trying to show that there’s a whole other workforce in this time right now where it’s so hard to hire people. There are people that want to work, you just have to find those right types of people and utilize their strengths.”

Strengths are something that Donis-Bonilla has a lot of, and when she gets a chance to enjoy some of Celts Pub’s delicious food, including cheese curds, which are her personal favorite, it’s an added perk to a job that has been everything she wants in employment.