Beatrice State Developmental Center finds jobs for its residents

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) — The majority of the 109 individuals who live at the Beatrice State Developmental Center have a job to do. Whether it’s cleaning, performing assembly for local manufacturers or holding a job at Beatrice businesses, the center’s residents stay busy. Based on their age, health and life goals, the facility’s residents are able to find a job that helps them develop their abilities and marketable skills, helping them be as independent as possible. “A majority of our folks are employed,” said Corina Harrison, interim facility administrator . “Usually, if they’re not, it’s because they’ve hit retirement age and they just want to do their leisure activities, just like any of us would.” While the U.S. Department of Labor allows employers to pay workers with physical and mental disabilities less than nondisabled people, that’s not the case for the Beatrice center. Every resident with a job is paid minimum wage for the work he or she does, Harrison said. Bear Creek Gifts on the center’s campus employs 20 of the residents. They paint signs, put together original art, create pottery and make wall hangings. The employees of the Bear Creek Gifts studio take a lot of pride in their work, said James Bush, an active treatment program specialist at the center who also runs the shop. It’s not a gift shop, he said, which he thinks surprises a lot of people who come through. It doesn’t sell things you can find anywhere else. Each of the pieces is a one-of-a-kind work of art. There are slumped-bottle spoon rests — made from old wine and pop bottles melted in a kiln — decoupage magnets, flower pens, doormats and University of Nebraska decor. How well the Nebraska stuff sells, that all depends on how well the Huskers do, said Pat Sookram, an active treatment program specialist who runs the studio side of the operation. “That goes with the season,” she said. “Hopefully, they do well this year and we’ll sell more.” The shop’s employees work as long as they’re able to and on whichever products they enjoy making most, Sookram said. Typically, workers come to the studio for two-hour shifts a few times a week. “It’s something for them to look forward to,” Sookram said. “Because it is something different than what they have in the normal routine of their day.” Almost everything in the shop is made from recycled or repurposed materials, Sookram said. Nearly all of the supplies are donated by Beatrice center workers and the public and, if the residents can use it, they’ll make art out of it. The State Developmental Center prides itself on integrating residents into the community, Harrison said. They’re out interacting with the public and attending events around town. Bear Creek is just one way of trying to get the community to return the favor, Bush said. “This was a way of the two-way street of bringing people back onto campus and to be comfortable coming to see it,” Bush said. “It’s just a part of the community.” © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.