How one woman with a vision for “Special People” built a business!

Barbara Roos was a beauty queen from Enid, Oklahoma.  Her titles included Rattlesnake Queen and 1st Runner up in the Miss. Oklahoma contest.   Her years at Oklahoma University were spent pursuing a Journalism degree. 

In 1958 Barbara met and married Donald Brennan. Their life together was rapidly enlarged by the birth of five children.  Joey, their third child was born with hydrocephalus and it is Joey who took Barbara and the rest of the Brennan family on a journey that has enhanced not only their lives, but the live of countless others. 

Born at Georgetown Hospital in 1962, Barbara and Don went into delivery with the anticipation of giving birth to twins; what they got instead was a beautiful boy with an immense head due to the water on his brain.  At the time, they were advised to institutionalize their baby; nurses cautioned Barbara against holding her son for fear she would bond to him.  In 1962 this was the prevailing wisdom but it was anything but wisdom for Barbara who demanded to see her son, held him, cuddled him, loved him and brought him home to raise with her other children.

Every bit of joy and affection showered on Joey was returned ten-fold. He had a great belly laugh, loved applesauce and a Bozo the Clown doll and became quite adept at climbing.  Blind by the time he was three, never learning to walk or talk Joey was the impetus of Barbara's lifetime of commitment to people with developmental disabilities.

Barbara's life was extraordinarily busy during the years that followed. A fourth child arrived  and there was no support for her child with disabilities, no mainstreaming and no schools. Barbara's first course of action was to find other mothers in the same position and start a school. Initially a summer program, Barbara enlisted teenagers willing to volunteer their time, a church with a basement and eventually funding from the state and federal government.

Joey’s life ended just a few days before his eighth birthday but his story didn't end there, he was the impetuous for a life of working for and with people with different needs. Barbara and Don started Stride, Inc. which has been employing a special workforce since 1988.  Originally started six years earlier as a “sheltered workshop” a not-for-profit, the goal of the business was to employ people with disabilities and eventually move people from a protected environment into the regular workforce. They did this with a governmental funding, employing one able bodied person for every two with different needs.  Barbara was the general manager of the operation and loved her work but conducting business was frustrating trying to compete in the corporate world as a not-for-profit.  She and Don started questioning, why use government funding? Why not operate a for-profit with a mission of employing people with different needs?  They bought the business and started on a grand adventure to do just that. 

                                                                                                                                                                                         
Three months after they purchased the business, Don suddenly died.  Barbara found herself needing to carry on their dream alone.

Today Stride, Inc. sells their office products to all the major contract stationers and wholesalers in the business. Half of their employment is adults with disabilities and countless others have left Stride to work in the community. Her life is a lesson in determination and an example that you can run a successful for profit business with a mission to employ people with different needs.

"ASSEMBLED BY VADEN"

 

Valentine's Day 2012

At Stride Inc., we refer to Vaden as a  "Super Employee!"  On a daily basis, Vaden thanks us for hiring him; how many employers get to hear that every single day?!  He loves working at Stride and says it's his favorite job ever.  At Stride he has friends and earns a paycheck. Vaden is always eager to increase his hours and never fails to volunteer to assist with an activity.  For Vaden it's simple; Stride is like family and when he has a problem someone is always willing to help him.  Vaden has been a valued employee for many years.

Voted most "Friendly Boy" in high school, Vaden was not born with a congenital disability.  He attended two years of business college before health issues took him on a downward turn that eventually lead to his disability.  Today Vaden lives semi-independently with thanks to a transitional living service.  Vaden  has a great sense of humor and has a unique ability to turn any situation into a positive one, punctuated with laughter.

One of Vaden's first jobs was at Sonic Drive-in where he recounts the time he cooked and delivered a hamburger minus the patty!  His giggles increase as he describes how the customer was halfway through their meal before noticing the missing hamburger patty.  Because customer service is intrinsic to Vaden's nature, the meal was replaced promptly with an apology and a smile. 

Vaden's other interests include bowling, movies, computer games and especially, Facebook, which he says with a twinkle in his eye, "you can have people 'friend' me."  One of six siblings, Vaden is especially appreciative of the help his sister, Leanne, gives him. 

When asked about his favorite job at Stride, Vaden responds with a smile, "All of them! I do like the hand assembly of pens and am glad that we don't have machines making the pens." We agree with Vaden and prioritize products that have hands on applications over items that come off machines readymade.

Vaden is appreciative of his job which he makes apparent... as his colleagues; we are the ones who should be grateful for his steadfast commitment to Stride! We hope you've enjoyed Vaden's story.



1993

 

Another Stride Story

"PACKED BY ROBERT"

 
Stride, Inc. manufactures and distributes office products - BUT - Stride is not your average business! A small women-owned business, Stride's goal is to provide the consumer with exceptional office products alongside a mission to provide successful training and employment of people with intellectual disabilities.

 

When Robert J started at Stride, Inc. in 1988 there was already a Robert on staff, the new Robert suggested we call him by his middle name and promptly became "Jude" in our heart and minds. Robert came to us through an organization called the Division of Vocational Rehab.

Robert is a member of the Indian Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico, and is of the Eagle Clan; he is an accomplished Indian potter and a full participant in all cultural feasts.  On Feast days you can find Robert in Traditional Dress, dancing, signing or drumming.  Robert's commute from Pueblo Jemez begins at 4:30am with a shuttle to the commuter rail line, a train ride, a bus ride and finally ends with a walk.  He reverses the pattern to arrive home around 7pm.  Robert will laugh when we talk about his commute because before the commuter line he hitchhiked the 48 miles to work and says those stories are much more entertaining!

Stride, Inc. is Robert's first job and he worked as an assembly specialist for many years before moving on to other employment opportunities. Recognizing the need to "expand himself" and "conquer" other work environments, Robert left Stride much to the sadness of his co-workers.  In 2008 Robert came back to work at Stride in the same position he had left.  Soon, the management team realized that this was a new Robert, one with organizational and supervision skills. 

Today, Robert is a member of the management team, salaried, participates in a retirement plan and no longer receives government assistance.  As Stride's Production Assistant Robert's duties are to make certain special needs workers have work to do and the tools needed to complete their jobs.  With new, complicated packaging duties Robert noticed in one instance that a worker could not count the required eight pens to put in a box. Deducing that the worker could count out four pens, he devised a system where his colleague places four pens in his right hand and four in his left to complete the set of eight.  Robert is a natural leader with a unique ability to explain tasks slowly and patiently; enabling his co-workers to be successful.

When Robert first came to Stride he admits to being unable to communicate do to extreme shyness. Working at Stride has helped him to open up and he attributes the ability to the family like atmosphere at Stride where he feels he works with his brothers and sisters and founder, Barbara Brennan is like a second Mother. We second Robert's feelings and value the skills he brings to the Stride Family.