Today we’d like to introduce you to Nashalie Soto.
Hi Nashalie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Inspire of Central Florida began as Seminole Work Opportunity Program (SWOP) in 1980. We opened a storefront in a Sanford strip mall and employed six individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Stephanie Ryan, our Executive Director, took over in 2016 after serving as a board member for a year. Since that time, we have changed our name to Inspire of Central Florida. We currently serve approximately 72 individuals with IDD at our facility in Casselberry.
Inspire offers several programs for our participants, including Operation G.R.O.W (Giving Real Opportunity for Work), which is an internship program offered for individuals seeking competitive, integrated employment. The program serves about 30 individuals who continue their education through classroom instruction or through vocational training with our community partners. Nashalie Soto, the G.R.O.W. Program Coordinator, partners with businesses such as the Sharing Center, Goodwill Industries, Northland Church, Seminole County’s Sheriff Office, and Seminole County’s Services Building. The businesses offer the interns an opportunity to obtain real job experiences by volunteering and participating in task-specific training. Emily Lienard, a Job Coach, works with the interns individually on building resumes, building connections in the community, and working with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Inspire of Central Florida has been through many transitions since its founding. The families and staff who have worked with Inspire for over thirty years have witnessed these transitions and are grateful to the current Inspire administration and staff for providing the services we do today. Inspire values our reputation and the services we provide to our clients. Inspire’s most recent hardship has been the difficulties associated with COVID-19. Inspire is very thankful to have had the opportunity to services to our clients throughout COVID. Many of the host businesses we work with were not able to remain open during the pandemic. However, our staff brainstormed ways to continue providing engaging and meaningful material to our clients during this uncertain time. The result was Inspire’s transition into remote learning. Inspire’s Job Coaches provided daily lessons via Zoom in which approximately 25 individuals were able to socialize and engage with one another while continuing their education. Many families and specialists expressed their gratitude and looked forward to the daily lessons and zoom calls. Our facility is now open and we have implemented new safety protocols to keep our clients safe, such as daily handwashing, protective desk shields, and mandatory use of face masks.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Inspire of Central Florida is an Adult Day Training (ADT) facility that provides educational, vocational, residential, and transportation services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The individuals who attend our program have completed their formal education and have an intellectual or developmental disability diagnosis, such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or Down Syndrome. These individuals have a common desire to develop the skills needed to live, work, and function in the community independently. The individuals who participate in our program work on fulfilling the terms of business contracts, which is why we call our clients Contract Fulfillment Specialists (specialists for short). We specialize in projects that require accuracy, repetition, and attention to detail. Inspire also has a fully functioning woodshop, where our specialists make various wood products. Our commitment is to provide high-quality work that is delivered affordably and on time.
Our services include, but are not limited to: direct mailings, product/package inserts, custom furniture refinishing, sign assembly, custom wood shop services, survey stakes, Adirondack chairs, picnic benches, corn hole game boards, and puzzle games. In addition to contract fulfillment and woodshop work, our specialists also work on improving their life skills by participating in daily classes. These classes include instruction on job skills, hygiene, social skills, counting money, and telling time. We also provide the opportunity for our specialists to participate in Operation G.R.O.W., an internship program that affords the opportunity to engage in vocational training with our community partners, such as Goodwill, Northland Church, and Inspire Your Day Café, a café owned and operated by Inspire of Central Florida. Inspire also offers extracurricular activities, such as Art Class, Dance Class, and Book Club. We also have a group home, Inspired Living, which houses six of the specialists who attend Inspire. This group home provides a safety net and allows the families of the residents to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that their loved one will be taken care of when they are no longer able to care for them.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Inspire defines success as our clients working toward accomplishing a personal goal and finally achieving that goal. Each individual has their own goals that they hope to achieve while participating in our program, and we strive to remind them to celebrate their daily efforts in achieving those personal goals. We consider our clients to be like family, and when one family member accomplishes their goal, we all like to collectively celebrate that achievement.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@inspirecfl.org
- Website: https://www.inspireofcentralflorida.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirecfl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspirecfl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDgMVpoEW5A8tQ0M7Ta1iKw
Image Credits
Nashalie Soto, Operation G.R.O.W.
Rachel Acevedo, Inspire’s Pro Bono Marketing Consultant
