At Pollard Banknote, Trevor Walker is so "Connect-ed" that he has become indispensable.
For the last 13 years, Walker, 35, has been the go-to guy staff at the company turn to daily to deliver and pick up inter-office and regular mail throughout their three-building complex in Fort Garry. He operates -- and at times fixes -- the photocopier machines. He's also the one who rushes to the right departments the materials needed for the company to produce lottery tickets in Canada and countries around the world.
From left: Connect executive director Krista Bissett, Pollard supervisor of administrative services Debbie Crease, the indispensable Trevor Walker and Leslie Vitt, Trevor's case manager.
Thanks to Connect Employment Services -- the charitable non-profit agency that finds employment for adults with intellectual disabilities -- and his visionary parents who created it almost two decades ago, Walker has a job.
"I look forward to working here," he said.
"Everybody is helpful and show me what to do ... and I've been here long enough that I'm now at four weeks a year of vacation."
Through the years, Walker has become integral in helping things run smoothly between Pollard's offices and departments.
"Trevor works hard and does a good job," co-CEO John Pollard said. "He's just like all the rest of us. It's a pleasure having Trevor around.
"And when I can't figure out that darn photocopier, Trevor's the one I call," Pollard added, laughing. "He's a genius on that thing."
Both Brian Hemeryck, the company's comptroller, and Debbie Crease, Pollard's supervisor of administrative services, emphasized how essential Walker is at their company.
"We don't like when Trevor goes away," Hemeryck said.
"There's a lot we take for granted now because of Trevor. If I want something couriered out right away, you page Trevor. When he's not there, you do it yourself and it takes longer."
Crease said that "part of Trevor's value is he knows everybody that works here and everybody knows him.
"He knows all of our customers ... he knows each department's role in our business. And everything we ask of him, he does.
"He is much more than just copying for us."
Leslie Vitt, Walker's case manager with Connect, said the workplace match is so great for Walker that she only has to pop in occasionally to meet with staff at Pollard.
"That's our goal, to get to the point where there are only small issues to handle," Vitt said.
Comments like these are exactly what Connect's staff and founding parents love to hear.
Judy Walker, one of Connect's founding parents, said her son's job is "what we knew he could do.
"Pollard is just a wonderful company for Trevor. He is very much part of the company. He even gets profit-sharing."
Judy Walker said what Trevor does is what she and other parents hope all special-needs adults can do.
"Trevor was 16 at the time when we found there was very little available for work for our children when they left school," she said. "We wanted to change that."
Krista Bissett, Connect's executive director, said Connect and Pollard worked together and created a job for Trevor that matched what he could do and what he enjoyed.
Bissett said their 45 employees provide the same service for 190 adults with intellectual disabilities. Currently, about 190 businesses -- including Home Depot, Liquidation World, Old Navy and Canada Safeway -- employ Connect clients.
"Families should know what their choices are," Bissett said.
"When the (special needs) child is in school, it's an entitlement for the services, but when you hit 21 you're an adult and you are no longer entitled.
"Our service is about hope. It's believing in your son or daughter."
Karen Vickar, Connect's board president, said, "The organization is incredible.
"We're all advocates to help these young adults find a place in the community.... We've tried to educate people and make people aware that adults with intellectual disabilities can work.
"It can be daunting, but it is ultimately rewarding."
Bissett said Connect is funded by the provincial government through Family Services and Housing. She said they have also created a charitable endowment fund for donations.
"We want to ensure the future of our agency," she said. "When we ask for funds from people, we divert it there."
Connect helps people whose primary disability is intellectual. Bissett said the agency offers services to people who require minimal support at the workplace and to those who need full-time one-to-one support while working. Connect also works to reduce the chances the person's Employment and Income Assistance benefits will be cut off.
All clients are paid by the employer, who receives no subsidy, and the pay ranges from minimum wage to salaries with full benefits.
Connect provides several services to each special needs adult, including work plans, job search assistance, planning transportation routes to and from work, developing training and support, and career planning.
It also has several programs individuals are slotted into. There's a competitive work program to get a person ready for a job and working within a year; a community placement plan for people who want to work, but won't be ready within a certain time frame; and an individualized program for people who need one-to-one support for work and activities in the community.
Bissett said Connect has grown from the six employees and 10 clients it had in 1991.
"We certainly have evolved out of need," she said. "We started small and [grew] as we got the resources to meet the growing need.
"We know there are more kids coming out with disabilities and we want to work with them."
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
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