John Field gets up every morning, works hard and earns a good paycheck with benefits. A host of organizations, coordinated by Monadnock Developmental Services, gets John the support he needs.
I'm Deborah Schachter from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and this is Giving Matters, a series that highlights the work of nonprofit organizations in our communities.
John Field gets up every morning, gets to work on time and puts in a full shift at Innerpac in Keene. He works hard, loves his full time job and earns a good paycheck with benefits.
The only thing remarkable about this is that John was born with a developmental disability that can make his life challenging.
A host of organizations, coordinated by Monadnock Developmental Services, gets John the support he needs.
"People are still sleeping, I'll be up at 5:30, having my coffee, and wait for guys to show up and pick me up, and punch in at 6:30 and go to work."
Beth Stout of Monadnock Developmental Services works with John.
"John bales paper, so he takes all the scraps from all the machines, puts them into the baler, compacts them and takes them out. And it's a position that all of the machinists need him to be very efficient."
John's employers appreciate his hard work.
Stout: "They have been by his side, but not because of John being disabled but because John being a very hard worker. John deserves every right, every advantage and every opportunity, just like the rest of us. We work really hard, all of us together, to support him. We celebrate John every time we're with him."
Field: "I've been there ten years, and I'm happy there."
Nonprofits help thousands of people with disabilities live fulfilling and productive lives.
For more information about this nonprofit, other nonprofits in your area and about this series, go to the Giving Matters page at NHPR.org.
Giving Matters is a coproduction of New Hampshire Public Radio and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
