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.