RALEIGH, N.C. -
One local organization believes a disability shouldn't keep someone who wants to work from working.
Community Workforce Solutions operates like an employment agency, helping individuals earn their way toward independence.
The program pairs individuals, like Jon Parker, with jobs that meet their abilities.
For the past five months, Parker has worked as a grocery clerk at the Kroger on Six Forks Road in Raleigh.
It's a job Parker takes very seriously and one he is grateful for.
"It gets me out of the house, number one it gets me out of the house. And I enjoy being around people that much," said Parker.
The way Parker processes information makes it harder for him to find a job.
But Community Workforce Solutions thought Kroger would be a good fit.
Roger McGee heads up Community Workforce Solutions -- a private non-profit that matches individuals with disabilities with jobs.
Parker heard about the group from one of his rehab counselors.
"The folks that we serve typically don't have a lot of opportunities...Independence is a great goal and these kinds of opportunities, having regular, competitive employment, provides that opportunity for them," said Executive Director McGee.
"Jon's a very personable person, caring and outgoing. He likes to have fun at work and we enjoy it," said Kroger Store Manager Victor Adkins.
And Parker enjoys it too as he overcomes his disability one shelf at a time.
Community Workforce Solutions receives state and local funding and money from business partners who retain their services.
The organization also accepts donations.
