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Sam
assists Don in accessioning a jack plane at Garst Museum.
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Community Connections
Help Individuals with Disabilities Live a Good Life
(Greenville, Ohio) – October is National Disability Employment
Awareness Month (NDEAM). This is a national campaign that raises
awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many
and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The
theme for 2014 is "Expect. Employ. Empower." The Darke County
Board of Developmental Disabilities operates under two philosophies,
Employment First and Community First. When working with
individuals to find work and ways to socialize and participate in
activities of their interest, we will always look to the community
first. This month, we will be highlighting individuals who are
contributing to their communities either through competitive
employment, volunteering or both.
Sam Ploch is a 22 year old young man with Asperger’s Syndrome which is
on the Autism Spectrum. Sam is a 2010 graduate from Greenville High
School where he studied Interactive Media (IMTV) through Greenville’s
Career Tech Center. This continues to be an area of interest to
him as his goal is to become a videographer.
After graduation, Sam began working at Wayne Industries where his
skills were immediately utilized. He was asked to video-record
various events and trainings, a job previously done by staff.
After being trained on the equipment, Sam was responsible for
setting-up, recording, tearing down, copying and cataloging the dvds
for future use. Sam was afraid that when he came to Wayne
Industries he wouldn’t be able to use his skills from IMTV, he said “It
is so great to continue to use my talents that I learned in Interactive
Media, thankfully Jeff [Jeff Miller, Director of Wayne Industries] saw
my potential, and he has helped me continue to do audio/video
work.” Sam is realizing his dream as he is currently contracted
to work with two neighboring agencies as a videographer where he is
earning well above minimum wage.
While Sam is securing some work as a videographer, not all
opportunities and experiences are paid work. He has many other
interests that he wants to pursue. Sam enjoys connecting with the
community through volunteering and club memberships. It is a
great way for him to learn more about his interests as well as to meet
people who share his same passions. Sam’s many interests include
history, public speaking, acting, photography, trains, collecting, and
art.
Because of his interest in history Sam met with Linda Newbauer,
volunteer coordinator at The Garst Museum, to discuss ways he may be
able to volunteer. After touring the museum, he was most
interested in the cataloging/accessioning division. Sam now
volunteers at the museum every Tuesday from 10am-2pm where he works
alongside other volunteers to document, measure, and photograph the
artifacts. Linda had this to say when asked about having Sam at
the museum, "We are very happy to have Sam volunteering for us. He is
so qualified, responsible, energetic, punctual and congenial. He also
has a great deal of attention to detail which makes him a perfect fit
for this position. The day I met Sam I knew he would be a good fit for
Garst Museum!
Don Kilgallon, who has been training Sam, feels the same way, “Sam has
been a big help to me as we have been accessioning the tools, many of
which need two people to handle them. Sam has a great memory and
his attention to detail is important in the work we do.”
Sue Huston, Community First Transition Coordinator for the Darke County
Board of Developmental Disabilities said, “The success for making
positive connections in the community depends greatly on the
willingness of people to look past someone’s disability and focus on
their talents, abilities and what they can offer. It has been
wonderful to see the community embrace Sam as he becomes more actively
involved in his interests.” Dr. Clay Johnson, Executive Director
of The Garst Museum added, “Sam’s presence at the Garst Museum has been
wonderful. Working with our volunteer Don Kilgallon, Sam is a great
asset for the museum. I also feel it is important to note that Don’s
dedication in assisting Sam has made a positive impact in providing a
great atmosphere for him. Darke County is fortunate to have people like
Don that volunteer their time and are dedicated in helping others.”
Continuing with his interest in history, Sam wanted to learn more about
the Log House at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Roger Van Frank,
Director of Darke County Parks and Laura Schwieterman, Volunteer
Coordinator of Darke County Parks, were very excited to meet with Sam
and discuss ways that Sam could volunteer. Because of Sam’s
interest in the Log House, the skills he possesses and the desire for
the Park District to increase the visitation hours, they offered Sam an
opportunity to train for the position of hosting the Log House.
Sam is in the process of training which includes learning the history
of the time period as well as being fitted for period clothing and
learning the skills of the day such as using a loom and a spinning
wheel and what it would have taken to live in this period 200 years ago
on the frontier. Through this collaboration, Sam is able to
gain experience and actively engage in what is most interesting to
him…history, acting, public speaking and photography (they may utilize
him to take photos of groups and classes for marketing purposes).
Roger had this to say about having Sam volunteer at Shawnee Prairie,
“We are excited to have Sam become a part of our team at the Log
House. We believe he will bring many positive aspects to the
visitors and volunteers alike. We are hoping to expand our hours of
operation for the Log House. Our house is very unique and is our center
piece for Historical Interpretation at Shawnee prairie. We are
encouraged by Sam’s enthusiasm; it is contagious. We already have
a great working relationship with Garst Museum, and many of Sam’s
skills and knowledge may lead to future collaborations. Anytime
we can work with local agencies such as The Darke County Board of
Developmental Disabilities it is a win-win situation.” Sam will
begin volunteering two days a week at Shawnee Prairie beginning in
October with the hopes of increasing his days over the next few months.
Sam is continuing to create a full and rewarding life by pursuing
additional interests, some of which include: railroading, model trains,
art, and photography. Sam has several goals that he is working
toward. One goal is to purchase the Adobe Premier Elements photo/video
editing software to use with his new camera. This will allow him
to experiment and improve his camera and video skills. When asked
about how his life has changed in the past few months, he said “It has
been a very good experience working with everyone, my life is about to
be transformed into something extraordinary.”
If you would like additional information about Employment First and
Community First services through the Darke County Board of
Developmental Disabilities, please contact Rodney Willis, Community
First Director at rodneyw@darkedd.org or 937-548-9057.
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Sam
and Roger Van Frank, Director of Darke County Parks, at Shawnee Prairie
Preserve.
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