Support Young Adults with Disabilities at Shutaf Employment Programs

Meet Morane Soffer. She’s one of our most longtime Shutaf participants, since our 2nd camp in 2007! Now 26, Morane, who has disabilities, joined Shutaf’s Kitchen Vocational Training Program this past summer. She loved the training, being a kitchen staffer, making a real salary, and being part of a team. Talkative and opinionated, with an excellent sense of humor, Morane worked hard. None of that comes easy, given some of Morane’s medical challenges - she has epilepsy with active short seizures - but she persevered, determined to complete her 2-week work commitment on kitchen staff. Becoming a paid staff member is not a given if you’re a person with disabilities, especially if you have more significant needs. It takes time, resources, and staff to train and support employees with disabilities. Shutaf is addressing the need for mentored employment (and fair pay): Junior Counselors: For teens, ages 16-21, a 6-month training course is followed by paid work - age-based minimum wage - as a JC or specialist assistant at Camp Shutaf. Kitchen Vocational Training: For participants, ages 21-30, pre-camp training is followed by up to 3-weeks of paid work (minimum wage) handling camp’s meal program. YOUR GIFT *THIS DECEMBER* SUPPORTS these two important programs, along with Shutaf’s year-round programs for teens and young adults with disabilities. Preparing for adulthood, working on your social skills and experiencing real employment, are important parts of understanding what the future can hold. Today, you can help make that possible.