Like many families, the Pantalianos have experienced the vast challenges adults with disabilities are faced with when finding full-time work.
Jackie Pantaliano’s son, Steven, is a 22-year-old who suffers from developmental disabilities.
“It’s especially tough to find adults with disabilities full-time employment. Many members of this population have multiple part-time jobs — a few hours here and a couple of hours there,” said Pantaliano, a Pride Venture Inc. PR representative.
As Pantaliano inferred, each person with developmental disabilities is an individual with unique strengths and challenges — the key is matching their strengths to the right job.
Some are incredibly detailed, others may need to work in a quiet environment or even in a room by themselves, some work best with people and are terrific dealing with customers.
“When the right match is made, it’s of great benefit for the employer and employee,” Pantaliano said.
Luckily for them in 2009, Joe Ritzel created a local non-profit organization in Medford called Paws Venture Inc. in an attempt to provide job training and transitional employment experience to individuals with developmental disabilities who could not independently succeed in a traditional work environment.
“With the proper training, these individuals can gain practical work and life skills to enhance their future employment opportunities,” Ritzel said.
With this in mind, a core group of volunteers and participants with developmental disabilities began baking all-natural homemade dog biscuits in a local church kitchen. These biscuits were then packaged, labeled and sold at area craft fairs and pet expos.
With this exposure, a number of additional volunteers got involved in the Pride Ventures organization.
As a result of these efforts, Pride Ventures was able to secure a lease on a storefront in 2010.
Today, Pride Ventures owns and operates a dog and cat accessory store called Pride Paws.
The name was created to signify the pride the group’s participants take in being a productive and contributing member of the community.
The environment is designed to instill a positive work ethic and enable these individuals to reach their personal highest level of achievement.
Pride Ventures is proud to employ 20 participants with developmental disabilities and more than 35 volunteers.
“It’s an environment where my son and others can gain a multitude of practical and social workplace skills and experiences which they can directly apply to future jobs,” Pantaliano said. “It’s also a safe place, where they know they’re understood.”
“I’ve learned all the functions of a shop including customer service and cash register skills, stocking, making products and how to close out the store. These are all good skills for my future employment,” Steven said.
On April 30 from 5 to 9 p.m., Pride Ventures will host its only major annual fundraiser at Pinsetters Bar & Bowl in Pennsauken. This fundraiser provides a significant percentage of the funds needed year-round to run Pride Paws.
The event was first held seven years ago as an opportunity for all participants, volunteers and guests to comfortably get together on a Saturday evening.
“Many of the young adults who are trained and work at Pride Paws have become friends and bowl together,” Pantaliano said.
Pinsetters was suggested as a place where attendees could not only bowl, but enjoy dinner, drinks and prize auctions.
Each activity is strategically arranged in separate areas throughout the venue to keep lines at a minimum. The organization plans to continue to see attendance numbers rise as it has every year thus far.
Paws Venture is seeking attendees, as well as sponsors, vendors and auction item donors.
“Sponsoring the event is a great way to display a company’s commitment to community service and philanthropy,” Pantaliano said.
This will be the second year in a row two Navy K-9 police dogs and their handlers will be making an appearance at Pins 4 Pride.
“It’s become a fun tradition where people can dress comfortably, feel relaxed and simply have a great time, while doing good,” Pantaliano said.
Tickets are a $50 donation for three to four hours of unlimited bowling, shoe rental, appetizers, a dinner buffet, two drink tickets (beer, wine, soft drinks) and a dessert. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to participate in a pick-a-prize auction and a silent auction.
For more information contact Sarah Moretti at sarah6autumn@yahoo.com, call (908) 377–2485, or visit www.prideventuresinc.org.
