ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
For several years, Mosaic’s offices in Southwest Kansas have provided shredding services in house.
Effective Saturday, the agency will no longer offer those services in house. Now individuals previously employed in Mosaic’s shredding operations will have the opportunity to work directly with M.F. Docu-Shred.
Mosaic in Southwest Kansas Director Janeth Trevizo said as part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to enhancing opportunities for individuals with disabilities in area communities, Mosaic has entered into an exciting partnership with the shredding company.
M.F. Docu-Shred owner Mitchell Foster said this is a new experience for him.
“I thought it went really well, and I enjoyed it,” he said. “They’re very passionate about going to work and very excited. That was a plus. It was very cool to be a part of.”
Foster said his company too has other work opportunities for Mosaic clients aside from shredding.
Trevizo said the partnership enables Mosaic to transition out of shredding operations and help find employment for those with disabilities.
“The big purpose is to get as many people employed with disabilities out in the community,” she said. “People are so used to having our individuals in service receiving services from Mosaic, and that’s not what we want. We want them to be out in the community, integrated in the community.”
Trevizo said this allows Mosaic clients to build natural support and friendships, as well as make a difference in people’s lives.
“It’s not where they are gaining anything more than just charity,” she said. “They’re giving back to their community also by paying taxes, by paying their bills. They also have all the things we pay for day to day. They should be able to enjoy that and be able to earn an income.”
Trevizo said Mosaic is grateful to M.F. Docu-Shred for contributing to the creation of meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities in area communities.
“We did talk about in the beginning, we’re going to stop doing it, and we’ll just have to tell our individuals in service we’re no longer doing shredding,” she said. “That would’ve been it, but here we are with three better opportunities for individuals.”
Trevizo said Foster shares Mosaic’s passion for the shredding business and its potential to create meaningful opportunities for individuals of all abilities.
“Mitchell’s approach to recruitment and management is truly commendable, as he places a strong emphasis on recognizing and nurturing the unique talents and capabilities of each individual,” she said.
In particular, Trevizo said Foster’s commitment to seeing beyond disabilities and focusing on abilities has led to remarkable insights and opportunities.
“For instance, when considering potental tasks for those Mosaic serves, he took the time to understand their strengths and interests,” she said. “This resulted in innovative solutions such as offering Andy the opportunity to expand his skills by obtaining a forklift certification, recognizing Craig’s stress relief through music and offering a role involving hard drive destruction and acknowledging Don’s extensive experience and dedication to his work, making him an invaluable addition to the team.”
Trevizo said Mosaic wanted to give opportunities to local companies to hire clients, and she said the M.F. Docu-Shred partnership is more about hiring individuals in service and less about hiring Mosaic as a whole.
“He’s learned about our individuals in service,” she said of Foster. “He has come to get to know them, and that’s where that spark came in.”
Foster said he is excited about partnering with Mosaic.
“The people I talked to were pretty cool,” he said. “They were fun.”
Foster talked about some of the other employment opportunities he has for Mosaic’s clients.
“The shredding is all done onsite in a truck, but we’ve got other stuff going on at the shop – fire extinguisher service,” he said. “We’ve got the bailing, where we bail our paper, shop and yard maintenance, keeping that shop clean with all the powder dust, with all the paper dust, with all the day-to-day activity and the traffic. We have a huge yard that accumulates and collects trash from other people.”
Foster said both the yard and shop at M.F. Docu-Shred require much maintenance, and he also has a cleaning company with other employment opportunities.
“This is the start of a partnership not just for shredding, but several other areas,” he said.
Trevizo said Foster made it clear from the beginning he was not setting limits on individuals because of their disabilities.
“He was thinking right away of where they would fit in,” she said. “He’s not going to be limiting what the individuals do. He’s going to see what they’re capable of and maybe even challenge them to do more. That’s what I want to see in the partnership when we go out into the community, and we’re still trying to employ other individuals. We have a lot of individuals in Garden City who are employed all over the community, and I want to see that for our Liberal people.”
Typically, Foster said there is about one trip to Garden City within a given month, but there are times when bigger jobs may call for two to three trips a month.
“We can pick them up to do other things than just shredding,” he said. “This started out with a minor commitment as far as time for employment, and it has a potential to employ numerous people, numerous hours, numerous opportunities.”
Trevizo said she is pleased to share Mosaic will be providing job coaching support during employment to ensure the success and well being of those the agency serves. She said this additional support underscores Mosaic’s commitment to their professional growth and development, and agency leaders look forward to seeing individuals blossom in communities.
“We are very dedicated to finding people employment, but not just throwing them out there and them figuring it out,” she said. “We as Mosaic are going to be providing some support for Mitchell’s staff. That’ll include having someone there, representation from Mosaic, while that individual learns the job, and we’ll slowly fade out.”
Trevizo said Foster will continue to have contact with individuals for performance reviews and other related business.
“This is not just for Mitchell,” she said. “This is also for the community. If the community’s interested in hiring our individuals in service, we’re willing to partner with them and provide that support where our job coach is able to help them and train them there.”
Trevizo said Mosaic is hopeful the collaboration with Foster and his team will serve as an inspiration to other potential employers to embrace the talents and abilities of individuals with disabilities. She added working together demonstrates Mosaic’s value of belonging, connection and creating more opportunities for meaningful employment.
