Tom Fenchel, co-owner of Quetico, a wholesale distribution company, employs individuals with disabilities from AbilityFirst on his company's assembly line. He finds the AbilityFirst participants to be happy and appreciative of the opportunity. Initially, Quetico employees were concerned about the partnership but have come to accept the AbilityFirst participants as part of the team. The partnership benefits both organizations by providing meaningful employment to individuals and alleviating concerns for the company. Both organizations plan to continue their partnership into the future.

1. 12
E
very time Tom Fenchel, co-owner of
Quetico in Chino, visits the warehouse of
his wholesale and distribution company,
his first stop is the assembly line where
AbilityFirst participants are packing boxes and
applying stickers.
“The AbilityFirst people are so happy and so
appreciative,” Tom said. “We get personal
satisfaction from knowing that we are not just
giving them employment, we are giving them
an opportunity to have a place to come to
every day to feel important about themselves.”
Quetico is one of several companies that
collaborate with AbilityFirst Business and
Employment Services to employ individuals
with disabilities.
The 20-year-old company with 380 employees
distributes brand-name products, mostly
clothing, to warehouse clubs and major
retailers. The AbilityFirst participants are well
suited to the assembly line routine and Tom is
pleased with their efficiency.
Reaction from employees, who initially were
concerned about losing their jobs, has been
positive as well.
“At first, people were wondering what’s going
on,”Tom said. “Now that we’ve been doing it
for a few years, they’re just part of the family.
Theyeatlunchtogether,theysocializetogether
and they make friends.”
A lot of the employees don’t speak English too
well and most of the AbiltyFirst participants
don’t speak Spanish but over the years they
have learned to communicate with each other.
“I absolutely am thrilled with the partnership,”
Tom said. ‘It really makes us feel good about
what we do.”
Isis McDonald, AbilityFirst Senior Director
of Business and Employment Services, said
the partnership between AbilityFirst and
Quetico began two years ago, when Mike
Dokmanovich, AbilityFirst board member and
Regional President of Comerica Bank Inc.,
invited Quetico officials to tour the AbilityFirst
Lawrence L. FrankWork Center.
Initially, Tom was concerned about issues like
Workers Comp, how the contract would work
and the impact on his employees. Isis sold
him on the idea that a partnership would help
people with disabilities gain work experience
while alleviating the work and insurance
concernsbecauseAbilityFirst,asthecontractor,
would handle the screening, job training and
any employee actions.
Once his concerns were addressed the
partnership was sealed.
Every weekday, AbilityFirst sends 20 to 25
participants to Quetico. Some are transported
by van, some drive, some are driven by
family members and others carpool with
Quetico workers. Every three participants is
accompanied by an AbilityFirst supervisor, who
oversees their work and provides instruction.
“Wewereabletoprovideagroupofpeoplewith
disabilities to his job site, and demonstrate to
his team that people with disabilities really
want to be contributing members of society,”
Isis said.
AbilityFirst benefits from the partnership in
that it educates the general public about the
skill levels of people with disabilities and their
desire to enter the workforce. It also opens
doors for other employers to take advantage
of what AbilityFirst participants have to offer.
And, it allows people with disabilities to enter
the workforce with support.
In addition to the business partnership,
QueticohasbeenverysupportiveofAbilityFirst
through corporate sponsorships and by
building a corporate team to participate in the
AbilityFirst Stroll & Roll event.
“We plan on having a relationship with
AbilityFirst for years to come,” Tom said.
“We are looking forward to growing both in
terms of employees in our building and our
participation in their charitable events.”
Quetico
Defining Social Responsibility
Highlights | Quetico Eddie Zhang | Employee Highlight 13
Eddie Zhang
Building Reputation and Rewards
M
ore than one hundred adults with
developmentaldisabilitiesareemployed
at Southern California companies
because of the successful AbilityFirst Supported
Employment Program. A professional staff of
27 work diligently to help prepare the adults
to secure and maintain employment. Leading
this energetic team is Eddie Zhang, Director of
Supported Employment.
Eddie has a wonderful attitude and his laughter
is infectious. But what stands out most about
him is his drive to accomplish his goals, and his
commitment to others to help achieve theirs.
Eddie has set and achieved many goals for
himself throughout his life. Born in China, he
came to the United States at age 20. He worked
a variety of jobs in a restaurant, while learning
English and earning a degree in Mathematics
from UC Irvine.
BeforejoiningAbilityFirstin2008,Eddieworked
for an organization that assisted immigrants
with finding work in the United States. He was
instrumental in helping them overcome their
challenges to find employment and resources
to help them adapt to their new environment.
Eddie reflects “My past experience has helped
me understand, not only the challenges of
individuals with disabilities, but also their
potential for working in our communities
and having a better quality of life through
independence.”
One key to the success of the program is Eddie’s and
his staff’s ability to initiate and maintain positive
relationships with employers. Eddie is most proud
of increasing the reputation of
the program with funders and
employers,becausethatmeans
more jobs for the supported
employees.
“We now work with 37
premier companies including
Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm,
the Pacific Aquarium, DirecTV,
and the state of California. We
have a very good reputation”
Eddiesaysproudly.
AbilityFirst job coaches support each participant by
helpingwiththeiron-the-jobtraining.Oncetrained,
coaches continue to supervise the employees,
providingguidanceorassistancewithtransportation
orotherissuesastheylearnthedemandsoftheirjob
andbecomevaluableemployees.
With the help of AbilityFirst Staff, Sean Ryerson
has worked at DirecTV for nearly five years. As
part of the access card handler crew, Sean’s job
is to make sure the access cards, which are used
intheDirecTVsystems,arefunctioningproperly.
“Eddie and the staff take time to make the
participants feel appreciated and important,”
says Sean’s mother, Kerry. “I am extremely
grateful to Eddie. Sean loves his job!”
Susan Brown, Community Resource and
Development Specialist for the Department
of Rehabilitation, works closely with Eddie on
new and existing services. She notes “Eddie
has established a stable program with policies
and procedures that meet DOR standards, and
has hired and trained staff that are bright and
committed to AbilityFirst’s mission.”
Together with his staff, Eddie continually seeks
ways to expand the program and takes great
joy in seeing the smiles on participants’ faces.
“I love seeing how happy our participants are
when they go to work. It’s especially rewarding
when one of our people exceeds their own
expectations - like getting a job they thought
was impossible.”
Andrew Bloomstone’s mother
Marie, says that was true
for her family. Andrew is in
his 10th month working for
the County of Los Angeles
as a community resource
worker. “I believe that
our interaction with Eddie
changed Andrew’s path for
the better. AbilityFirst was
indeed my last hope, and
Eddie extended a hand to
us even though he had no
obligation. Eddie did a very kind thing and I
can’t thank him enough.”
Like AbilityFirst, Eddie is driven by compassion
to build a more inclusive, welcoming world for
all. “I’d love everyone to have an open mind and
give those with disabilities a chance,”he says.“I
consider everyone who’s working a success. A
job makes a huge impact on a person’s life, their
family’s lives and the community.”
Eddie has a
wonderful
attitude and
his laughter is
infectious.