Left to Right: Maggie, Colleen, Erin & Marcy
National Disability Employment Awareness Month was declared in 1988 by the US Congress for the month of October to raise awareness of the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. We wanted to share Marcy and Maggie’s story and we would love to hear your stories too.
It has been said a picture tells a thousand words. This picture tells a story of sisterhood. Of adversity, adventure, loss, strength, faith, growth, joy, commitment, celebration, purpose, and of all things, unconditional love.
Colleen, Erin and I are privileged to be part of an elite group who have been touched by a family member with an intellectual disability. I believe Maggie (far left) would agree! Maggie’s designer genes afford her the ability to retain the magic and wonder many of us lose as we graduate into adulthood. She is all things pure and good.
Not only has Maggie’s light shown on our family but on our friends and community as well.
Maggie has competed in Special Olympics of Missouri (SOMO) over the years. She is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court and at the bowling alley. Yet, she never misses a chance to encourage a struggling teammate or congratulate an opponent on a game well played. Through SOMO events Maggie has built life-long memories, purpose, confidence, belonging and the comradery that every human deserves.
Needless to say, I was overjoyed recently when our team decided to offer SOMO a pro-bono search. We are currently working with long-time employee, Mary Lou Hammann, VP of Operations to select and onboard their new Chief Financial Officer.
Maggie will be starting her career with Boone Center (BCI) very soon. If you are unfamiliar with the mission of BCI, I encourage you to visit their website and watch some of the testimonials of individuals with disabilities who are overjoyed with the opportunity to find meaningful work. There are so many opportunities for employers to partner with or support BCI.
As we celebrate National Disability Employment Month, I encourage you to learn more about how you can support or employ individuals with disabilities in our community.
-Marcy Whelan
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