We are so proud of Jamal for winning The Arc's Work Initiative Award! The Work Initiative Award is given to one individual who is an employee with a disability who has positively contributed to a workplace setting.

Jamal has worked in janitorial services at Progress since 2017. In just two and a half years he grew exponentially and is now a vital part of the Progress team. Jamal began his role with a job coach, Chris Carr, who supported him as he learned the ropes of the job. Within months, Jamal was working without a job coach and able to be completely independent throughout his day. He empties trash cans and recycling, cleans the bathrooms, shreds documents, and keeps Progress looking tidy throughout the week.
 
In addition to his exceptional work ethic, Jamal greets every single person with a big smile and “Hello, how are you?” When anyone responds with “Good, how are you?” he always responds with “Blessed. Thank you!” During the holidays, Jamal even decorates a tree in the day program for all of us. It is one of his favorite projects throughout the year, and staff and other people we support always look forward to seeing the final results. This is not a requirement of the job at all, it’s just something he likes to do for us. Jamal always has a pep in his step and brings smiles to everyone’s day. He is thorough, polite, and does an outstanding job. We are a better organization with Jamal on our team. He works tirelessly, is always happy to help, and goes above and beyond to bring happiness to our workplace.

Congratulations, Jamal, we are so proud of you!

Thanks to a generous donation from Connie and Mike Schingle and in honor of Connie's aunt Patricia (a former client of Progress for many years) 75 of the people we support and their staff enjoyed a day at the Nashville Zoo on  May 8th! Everyone had a great time, and enjoyed seeing all kinds of creatures great and small. We are extremely grateful for this generous contribution that made such a special day for our folks!