More than a Job (Part II)
The Story of Cameron’s Chocolate
Sustaining Work
Over 84% of young adults with cognitive disabilities are unemployed but not unemployable – there is a big difference. The most vulnerable segment of our society is often the last hired and the first fired at businesses driven solely by profit.
- Ellen Graham
What was your biggest triumph?
A huge dilemma was that after COVID and in Washington, DC, right now, the federal government is not back to work. We used to have a regular customer base who would come in on their way to work to all these places, a lot of government contractors, but because everybody works from home now, nobody goes out for a coffee and a muffin. For us, we had made it through the initial phases of COVID, but then our customer base never returned - not because they didn’t like us but because the way people live right now is different. What we had to do as an organization was find an alternative source for business. We started with a group that operates some shops within Reagan National Airport. They initially won a contract for a single store, then they won a contract for 4 kiosks, and then they won a contract for another store. In all of those locations, they have our products.
A group met with me shortly after that, and it was a cold call. They just walked in and said they would set up a website, represent non-profits, and go after hotel chains. That sounded like a fantastic goal, but you think, “I’d like to see that happen.” And it did. Now our products are getting shipped to Embassy Suites, a big fancy spa in California – they are going all over. Coming out of COVID and seeing customers not returning, I asked, “How am I going to have enough work for my workers?” Well, now I have too much work. It’s just crazy. We currently operate at much slimmer margins. I can’t charge somebody buying 100 packets of my chocolate like I am charging someone who walks through the door. So, narrower margins but higher volumes, and if the goal is sustainability in terms of work, then it looks like I'm covered, at least for now.
Who do you, as a caretaker, lean into for your greatest source of support?
My husband is on this journey with me all the time. Rooted for both of us is our strong faith in God. When you wake up in the middle of the night and are worried about something, that’s what gets you through it. Everything that I had done in my life, if I had not done before I got here, I would not have had the skill set to do this. I have done many entirely unrelated jobs, and I did them because they fit my life then, but then they all came together here. It’s hard to imagine that those things happened randomly, at least for me.
“If my workers spill something on the floor, they don’t think their job coach will pick it up. They better get something – a dustpan, a broom, whatever – and clean up the mess. That is a critical skill; I would argue that everyone should have it. ”
Self-Sufficiency is a Superpower
What do you think people need to understand the most about this profile of your workers at Cameron’s?
I would say that the most important thing for an individual to succeed at Cameron’s is to be raised with expectations. When my son was in 3rd grade, on back-to-school night, the teacher said, “Please allow your son to fall off a chair in 3rd grade so we don’t watch him jump off a building when he’s 30.” What I took that to mean is that you have to let your children suffer the consequences of their actions when they are young because, as parents, you always want to protect your children from getting hurt and making terrible mistakes. But really, it’s a scale. If you don’t turn in your homework or get a bad grade, is it the end of the world? Probably not. So, I embraced that for my son. And as he stumbled through middle and upper school, his mistakes were his own, and he accepted his responsibility.
Ellen Graham’s daughter, Cameron who inspired Cameron’s Chocolate & Coffee Shop.
For my daughter, I thought that, you know, nobody ever allows people with disabilities to fail because they believe they are going to get hurt, they are going to cut their finger, they are going to do whatever. Or they are going to have hurt feelings, and everybody wants to be kind to somebody with disabilities. The reality is that’s how you develop self-sufficiency. It’s not through your successes, but through your failures, because it’s when you have a failure, you pick yourself up and say, “I’m going to try this again, or I’m going to change what I do.” If my workers spill something on the floor, they don’t think their job coach will pick it up. They better get something – a dustpan, a broom, whatever – and clean up the mess. That is a critical skill; I would argue that everyone should have it.
Pockets of Brilliance
What final words do you want to leave us with?
At some point in your life, you might have the opportunity to hire somebody with a disability, and often, people who are not raised with a sibling or cousin who is disabled don’t have a full understanding what it is like. Every one of my workers are incredibly hard workers and they all have pockets of brilliance. It will not be long before you are in the workforce and please consider employing somebody who is part of our community. Every little difference you make makes a huge difference. It touches a lot of lives, even if you touch just one.
My blog is titled “The Shoes We Wear.” It is meant to celebrate all the people with disabilities and those who support them.
What shoes are you wearing?
I just have on socks. (chuckle and laugh)
More resources and information about Intellectual Disabilities to be found on the Inspiration page.