Manchester, NH Easterseals NH Workforce Development program has received a $15,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to provide high-impact job readiness training and employment for low-income people with disabilities or special needs. The program helps individuals secure part or full-time employment to promote their independence and financial well-being. Last year, Easterseals Workforce Development served nearly 400 Adults and youth throughout New Hampshire.
“We are very thankful for ongoing support from the Wells Fargo Foundation and for joining us for the past two years in the important work of helping people with disabilities or special needs secure employment, “said Easterseals President & CEO Larry Gammon. “Our priority is to help individuals facing significant barriers to gain skills and work towards employment for a better quality of life. We very much appreciate Wells Fargo for partnering with us for this worthy cause.”
Easterseals NH’s Workforce Development program provides life-changing opportunities for people with disabilities or special needs providing them not only with a source of income but the dignity that employment offers as a contributing member of society. One of those individuals is Tristan Aho of Manchester, NH.
Tristan came to ESNH’s Residential & Educational Services as an angry teen who was prone to verbal outbursts and was challenged by a variety of disabilities. While in this program, Tristan moved forward with his education and also progressed through different residential options that increased his independence.
As Tristan became more independent he connected with ESNH’s Youth Transitional Services, a division of Workforce Development which provides individualized community based programming for students. Tristan worked with Youth Support Specialist (Angela Adorno), who helped him to identify and pursue his passions in life. Through this, Tristan discovered how his love of the guitar could relate to employment.
Angela helped Tristan secure a volunteer position at the Manchester Community Music School where he works in their instrument library refurbishing donated guitars and taking care of the guitars they use for music therapy. With the skills he developed though this volunteer position, Tristan started his own guitar repair business (TristanGuitars.com). Tristan also began working as a paid employee at Manchester Community Music School assisting with cleaning.
“I knew Tristan needed a straight path to follow in his life after taking so many detours,” said Tristan’s Youth Support Specialist Angela. “So, we put steps in place to find volunteer positions that involved music. They love him at the music school and he has quickly become part of the team.”
“As a volunteer, I feel like I’m doing something for the community and not for myself,” said Tristan, who recently celebrated his 21st birthday. “I like the independence and feel like more of an adult. When I work hard, I don’t worry about my disabilities. It helps a lot to think about other things.”
Tristan has come a long way since first coming to Easterseals. Through Workforce Development’s Youth Transitional Services program, this smiling young man with a great sense of humor also learned to cook, enjoys going to the gym, and focuses on finding another part-time job that will allow him to become even more self-sufficient.
“Before Easterseals, I felt like I was running in the same spot and was never able to reach my goals,” said Tristan. “Now everything is falling into place and I’m rocketing forward.”
The success of Workforce Development and clients like Tristan, is due, in part, through the generosity of the Wells Fargo Foundation.
“Across our community, many residents are working hard to make ends meet. Here in Manchester, we want to help support the needs of our neighbors and ensure young adults like Tristan have access to meaningful employment opportunities,” said Paul Forester, senior vice president, Middle Market Banking, Wells Fargo, Northern New England and Easterseals NH board member. “Easterseals provides critical community programs that help to revitalize and strengthen our communities and make a positive lasting impact throughout the state.”
For more information about Easterseals NH services, please visit easterseals.com/nh.
About Wells Fargo Foundation
Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,700 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com). With approximately 262,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. With its corporate philanthropy, Wells Fargo aims to pave a path to stability and financial success for underserved communities by applying a problem-solving mindset to housing affordability, small business growth, and financial health, among other local community needs. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also actively support communities by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last year. News, insights and more information on the company’s overall corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories.
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