Chris Ray has worked at Duncan Dining Hall for 18 years. As part of the evening dishwashing crew, Chris watches from the kitchen as cadets march in after evening formation, eager to chow down as Reveille strolls the dining hall with her handler in tow. After almost two decades, Chris says she is proud of the work she is able to accomplish with her coworkers and has grown to love the traditions at Texas A&M University.
“Students put the dishes in buckets and then we send them down the consolidator, where it comes to us and we wash the dishes,” Chris explains with a smile on her face.
Chris is one of the 200+ adults with disabilities impacted by the nonprofit organization Junction 505. Located off College Main in Bryan, Junction 505 assists adults with disabilities in finding a job that suits them. With over 35 employees, almost two-thirds of their workforce have a disability.
Executive Director Jennifer Patridge says the goal of the organization is to provide job training and employment placement assistance.
“The crew members work with students and associates, and they get to know the students, especially the Corps students at Duncan Dining Hall,” Jennifer says. “We have three groups of individuals that work at Texas A&M University, in the dining halls. Some of those individuals have been employed there for more than 20 years.”
The nonprofit began as Geranium Junction, founded by Marselaine Clark and Trisha Barksdale as a horticulture workshop under the Texas Rehabilitation Commission with the goal of providing work opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Geranium Junction was a community-based horticulture therapy project funded by Texas A&M University,” Jennifer says. “We received grant funding to work with adults with intellectual disabilities in horticultural therapy and from there we began doing vocational services for adults with disabilities. Then, those two ideas joined and became Junction 505.”
As the organization changed, former Executive Director Iris Wooley established Junction 505 as a place where people with disabilities could find assistance with job placement.
“We serve individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, mental health disabilities, learning disabilities, and visual impairments … It really runs the gamut,” Jennifer says. “There are people who have disabilities they're born with and individuals who develop a disability later in life.”
Junction 505’s mission is to promote dignity and respect for all people. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for adults with disabilities by providing them with the opportunity to enter the workforce.
“One of our founders, Marsy Clark, was the parent of an individual with a disability and she wanted better opportunities for him and ways for him to contribute to his community,” Jennifer says.
Now, Junction 505 serves approximately 200 individuals annually and has worked in conjunction with over 100 employers to help find jobs that match skill sets.
“When a new customer is referred to Junction 505, we sit down and talk to them about their skills and abilities,” Jennifer says. “A trained Employment Specialist will complete an assessment to determine their strengths and barriers to employment and to understand their support needs.”.
The next task is identifying a job that minimizes accommodations and eliminates barriers to ensure the most successful work experience. Junction 505 doesn’t stop at obtaining employment; they continue to work with employees to ensure they are comfortable and happy performing their duties.
“We learn the job, we teach them how to do the job and stay with them until they are confident and performing the job independently,” Jennifer explains. “Then, we establish natural supports in the workplace … coworkers and supervisors, to help employees continue to be successful at their job. We slowly fade out and allow them to work independently for the lifetime of the job.”
If job duties change, if the employee is promoted, if managers change, or if employers need anything, Junction 505 is available to help, Jennifer says.
Junction 505 has worked with numerous employers including Chick-fil-A, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, City of Bryan and Texas A&M, and Jennifer says they are always looking for new employers as employment partners.
One event where they find additional partners is their annual fundraiser, Harvest Moon, Jennifer adds. The event has taken place in Leach Teaching Gardens for the past two years and is an opportunity for the community to learn about the organization and provide financial support.
“Everything is done with the intention of supporting individuals with disabilities,” Jennifer says. “A lot of the work that we do is quiet and in the background — that's kind of the way that it's designed. We're here to highlight individuals and lift up the people we serve, not to get recognition ourselves. After 40 years, Junction 505 is still here and still advocating for people with disabilities.”
To learn more about Junction 505, visit their website at junction505.org.
