The article below is reprinted from the Spring 2019 edition of The Scoop.
The Scoop is published by Abilities of Northwest Jersey.
We are proud to be affiliated with Abilities and even more proud of Peyton and the value he brings to our organization.
The printing industry is now familiar territory for Peyton Manning (yes, that is his real name). He has worked for Paper Strategies, Inc. of Broadway, NJ for over a year now. Peyton’s job responsibilities include collating, shrink wrapping, packaging and labeling various printed items that end up in retail stores, banks and medical facilities all across the country. His biggest responsibility is packing approximately 50,000 business cards on each of the two days a week he works at the plant. His attention to detail in making sure that every single box is identical to the previous one is not only a thing of beauty, it shows his pride for a job well done. Looking at the overall numbers, Peyton has packed over 5 million business cards over the past year, without a single mistake. The repetitive nature of his job isn’t for everyone, but, Peyton has an incredible attention to detail and time oriented task management which makes him thrive in this position.
Peyton worked with Abilities’ Employment Pathways program in 2017 to find his ideal employment where he would thrive and succeed. After several job samplings, Peyton and his parents were introduced to David Leary at PSI in Broadway. After Peyton job sampled at PSI, he proved himself to be not only a valuable employee but also a cherished part of the team. Now working at PSI for over a year, Peyton has become close to his fellow associates and has grown into a significant role with the company.
“Peyton truly feels like family here and we will always be grateful for Abilities for introducing him to a great team at PSI where he is loved and challenged” said Peyton’s mother, Arlene. “His experiences have made significant changes in his life globally. He has a purpose to go to work, to do a good job, to get paid for his work, to then save and pay for his own things that he wants. Just like anyone else wants to do.”
For years, companies had huge misconceptions in regards to hiring people with disabilities. Most of these companies believed employees with disabilities could not perform as well as other employees and were apprehensive to hiring them. Today, top companies like Microsoft, CVS, and IBM are all leading the way for inclusiveness for people with disabilities in the workplace.
David Leary of PSI, understands the importance of having complete inclusiveness in the business world and has taken Peyton under his wing to prove to the community, and other businesses, how vital diversity is.
“As a business owner, it’s amazing to have someone like Peyton working here,” said Leary. “He is treated equally and understands that we have deadlines that have to be met. He was given an opportunity here, he accepted that responsibility and continues to impress. Isn’t that what any of us wants in our life, a chance or an opportunity?”
Peyton took the proverbial ball at PSI and ran with it.