Meet Julian

You may remember Julian, a ProjectSEARCH intern from Hilton Altamonte Springs who was hired at Red Apple Dining shortly after graduation, and whose story was featured in 2021. Lara, Magnify’s Project SEARCH manager, says, “Julian really grew during his internship and was awarded Intern of the Year at his graduation. He was always eager to learn and help.”

So where is Julian now?

Julian is in his second year of employment at Red Apple Dining where he has found a supportive and inclusive environment. He preps food, washes fruit, fills trays with food items, cleans, and takes out the trash.  According to his stepfather Todd, “His manager, Carmen, ensures that tasks are appropriate for his skills and that the job provides him with a real sense of belonging, and the feeling of being a productive member of society. He is more confident and has learned to better adapt to sudden changes in the workplace.” Carmen agrees that he has become more confident in the role he plays and the tasks he performs by knowing what he needs to do daily. He works independently and in a timely manner, and is always eager to learn new things.

Carmen explains that “Julian is an overall pleasure to have as a Team Member here at Red Bug and as part of our Red Apple Dining family. He makes us smile and laugh every day and quite honestly; I couldn’t imagine what it would be like without him as part of my staff.” Julian loves getting ready for work and gets so excited to see the Lynx bus pull up every morning to pick him up for his shift.  He also loves all the fun social aspects of employment including lunch with colleagues, celebrating holidays together, and even themed dress-up days.  According to Julian, "He loves his job, and it’s fun!"

About Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH is a one-year, school-to-work program for young people in high school with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ages 18-21). The program is a total emergence from the classroom to the workplace. It is a unique, business-led, one-year employment preparation program that takes place entirely at the workplace, serving young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their last year of high school.  Project SEARCH combines real-life work experience with training in employability and independent living skills helping young people with significant disabilities make successful transitions to productive adult life.

Turning Vision Into Reality

Reflections from our Executive Director

As the Executive Director of Magnify, I work to empower individuals with developmental disabilities to share their God-given gifts and help them unlock their full potential. Recently, I visited Tallahassee to participate in two major events that furthered this mission: the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day and Florida ARF Legislative Fly-In. 

The FDDC, where I serve as chair, sponsored Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day providing a platform to celebrate the achievements of people with developmental disabilities and raise awareness of their issues. I had the honor of delivering a speech to an audience of disability advocates, families, and community leaders. During my speech, I spoke about the power of community and the importance of helping individuals with developmental disabilities share their gifts. I believe that by connecting people with disabilities to resources, support, and opportunities, we can ensure that every individual can contribute to society in meaningful and fulfilling ways. Inspiring speakers joined me and shared their personal experiences, and I highly encourage you to watch the video and to learn more from their stories. FDDC members and staff joined me in a meeting with legislators and staff from the governor’s office. 

The following week, I returned to Tallahassee for the Florida ARF Legislative Fly-In, a gathering of providers and state agency representatives dedicated to discussing the needs and concerns of individuals with developmental disabilities. During this event, I heard from the state agency heads of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. I also met with several legislators in the Florida House and Senate to advocate for those we serve at Magnify. I emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals with developmental disabilities while highlighting the incredible gifts they offer our communities. I communicated our gratitude for the commitment of the governor and the legislature to raise caregiver wages to $15/hour, but also shared that significant increases in operating costs continued to threaten us. 

Throughout both visits, I made my message clear: people with developmental disabilities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else to lead fulfilling and independent lives. We must work together to break down barriers and create a more inclusive society to make this vision a reality. 

Reflecting on my visits to Tallahassee, I am reminded of the incredible impact passionate advocates can have on the lives of people with developmental disabilities. My participation in these events allowed me to bring attention to the needs of our community and work towards a more equitable future for our brothers and sisters with developmental disabilities. 

I extend my deepest gratitude to the FDDC members and staff, Florida ARF, and all the other organizations and individuals who participated in these important events. Your dedication to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities genuinely inspires me, and I am proud to be part of this incredible community. 

Career Camp: Spring Break

Magnify’s Career Camp is a program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ages 14-21) that teaches job-readiness skills, allowing participants to explore different career options and gain self-advocacy tools to help them thrive in the workplace. During Spring Break 2023, Career Camp participants attended Loews Hotels Universal Orlando, both in-person and virtually, to learn about hospitality and hotel management.

Every day at Career Camp comes with its own opportunities to learn.  Many students successfully utilized public transportation through Access Lynx to attend camp, and everyone learned how to navigate a large hotel campus.  Classroom instruction provided activities on identifying strengths and interests, employment etiquette, and self-advocacy. On-site tours gave participants a behind-the-scenes look at working in hospitality - from food preparation and banquet management to customer service and pool maintenance, our students saw it all.

Faith, a 16-year-old University High School student, attended Career Camp for the first time this Spring. Faith's mom, Rachelle, reported being “hesitant" to drop off her daughter on the first day of camp, as they are rarely apart, but seeing Faith’s excitement each day gave mom confidence that this place, these people, and this program were great for her daughter.  

According to Rachelle, Career Camp was "a pleasant, positive experience for both her and Faith.”  She has even noticed changes in her daughter since the camp ended, "Faith is more vocal when she was once unsure and shy,” said mom.

Faith’s Career Camp instructors and staff noticed a difference in her too.  Faith entered camp as a quiet, reserved teen, but as the days passed, her excitement grew, and by the end of camp, Faith was smiling for photos and chatting with her peers - an inspiring sight to behold.

Meet Christine

Relocating to a new city and moving into a new home can often be stressful and, in many circumstances, challenging; doing this during a pandemic - even more so.  Yet in 2020, that is exactly what Christine did. Desiring to move out of the South Florida group home she was living in and wanting to move closer to her parents, Christine took her opportunity to move into Magnify of Central Florida’s residential community, Bishop Grady Villas, after being on the waitlist since 2013.  With restrictions for health and safety in place, restrictions implemented by executive order of the Governor, her parents were not permitted on campus, so staff quickly jumped to her aid, getting Christine moved and settled into her new home.  

Today, Christine is an active, confident young lady who loves the Florida Gators, professional wrestling, and engaging with her friends and community.  Through Magnify’s Life Skills Program, she has learned how to set and achieve goals, recently hitting her weight loss goal of losing over 30 pounds.  Next up for Christine, she hopes to attain a job in retail.  With her positive spirit, proven resilience, and the help of Magnify’s Employment Program - we are sure Christine will achieve this next life goal. 

About Our Residential Program

Our Residential Program is designed to assist the individuals we serve in achieving their dreams. The support we provide includes supervision and training activities to assist our residents in acquiring, maintaining, or improving independent living skills.

About Magnify of Central Florida

Established in 2004, Magnify of Central Florida has a long history of success preparing young people and adults with disabilities to live independently in their community, develop life skills, and work toward competitive and self-employment opportunities. By opening doors of opportunity and providing a support system for success, we magnify the God-given gifts of individuals with disabilities throughout Central Florida. Together, we enable individuals with disabilities to share their unique abilities with their communities so that the fullness of each person we serve can be realized.

Career Camp: Dean’s Story

December 19-30, 2022 - In partnership with Loews Resorts, Magnify of Central Florida launched Career Camp, a collaborative community partnership designed to help young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain the knowledge and tools needed to explore careers in the hospitality and healthcare industries. Through work- based learning, job readiness training, job exploration, and self-advocacy activities, participants in Career Camp develop important skills that translate into meaningful employment.

“This inaugural Career Camp was a wonderful success, and the transformations that took place in these students were both life-changing and inspirational,” said Lara Orsini, Manager of Project SEARCH at Magnify, “Dean was one such student.”

“We soon realized that Dean was very quiet and not especially responsive to conversations or questions,” said Orsini. Yet, as luck would have it, one of Dean’s Career Camp classmates was also a high school classmate and baseball teammate. Noticing that Dean was particularly at ease with his classmate, Magnify instructors used peer-to-peer learning techniques to help draw Dean out of his shell.

“Every day, lunchtime was undoubtedly Dean’s favorite part of the day – it was when he became most vocal and told staff what he wanted to order,” said Orsini. By the end of the two-week camp, Dean had grown enough in confidence that he went independently to the cafeteria and placed his own order – truly a remarkable transformation!

Dean further flourished when touring Loews’ food-related departments. “His exuberance was noticeable to us,” said Orsini, “and not just to staff, but to the resort managers, his parents, and other campers noticed it too.”

Over the years, Dean’s parents have worked hard to find activities and opportunities that spark joy for Dean, and according to them, he truly enjoyed attending Career Camp. “Magnify’s Career Camp seemed to be custom designed for my classically autistic son,” said his mom, Jill Goodman. “We have long thought working at a hotel was Dean’s best chance for employment, and this opportunity gave us that validation! Participants rotated through 5-6 different jobs at two luxury resorts. On the last day, they got to choose their favorite, which gave a sense of ownership rarely afforded these hard-working students,” said Goodman.

“Magnify’s Career Camp program is different because it is person focused. We look at their skills, abilities, and potential,” said Orsini, “then work with them to find the best match for their gifts and talents.” Through its innovative approach, Career Camp is expanding the definition of employability and raising awareness about the valuable contributions people with disabilities can make in the workforce. What’s next for Dean? He is ready for employment and is working with Magnify’s Employment Program to help him find the perfect fit!

About Career Camp

Career Camp is a program for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ages 14-21). Participants learn job-readiness skills, explore different career options, and gain self-advocacy tools to help them thrive in the workplace.

About Magnify of Central Florida

Established in 2004, Magnify of Central Florida has a long history of success preparing young people and adults with disabilities to live independently in their community, develop life skills, and work toward competitive and self-employment opportunities. By opening doors of opportunity and providing a support system for success, we magnify the God-given gifts of individuals with disabilities throughout Central Florida. Together, we enable individuals with disabilities to share their unique abilities with their communities so that the fullness of each person we serve can be realized.