“It takes a village,” the adage goes.
At Goodwill Columbus, we are proud to help people with disabilities or other challenges enhance their quality of life through the power of work, and we are grateful for our strategic community partners who help us carry out this mission.
One of those partners is a local frozen food company, Lopaus Point. Lopaus is owned by Stacie Skinner, a mom on a mission. Skinner was recently featured in a “frozen and refrigerated” trade magazine for her delicious and nutritious waffles – a concept that was born due to her son’s dietary needs. You can read that article here.
So, what do gluten-free waffles have to do with Goodwill?
Lopaus Point prioritizes hiring differently-abled employees, many of whom are Goodwill clients.
“My very first helper when I was working from a shared kitchen was a young woman that was differently abled. Seeing her develop from dishwasher to waffle maker was amazing,” Skinner said. “There are so many other people who are willing and able but are often overlooked because of learning differences.”
In partnership with Goodwill’s Work and Community Services program, Lopaus Point has steadily increased the number of differently abled people it trains and employs.
Through the program, Goodwill empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to learn work and social skills, because we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the dignity that comes from earning a paycheck.
To that, Skinner said, “If our small company can do this, any company can — and should.”
