Inclusive employment strengthens local food industry

Inside the commercial kitchens of Hope & Main in Warren, a team works to prepare salmon and bluefish pâté for local markets.

Among those ensuring the product is ready for shelves is Terry Lee Robinson. A food packer at the facility for two and a half years, Robinson lives with memory issues following a traumatic brain injury from a high school car accident.

Hope & Main is a Rhode Island nonprofit that has supported nearly 450 entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses by providing kitchen space, training, mentorship and industry connections. On the co-packing line, Robinson seals containers, packs boxes and carefully applies labels to each product. 

“I’ve got to get it just right, no bubbles and no wrinkles. I’ve got to get the right label on the container,” Robinson said. “The top is colorful and it’s got the name of it, and on the bottom is all the ingredients and the date.”

Robinson’s role has evolved during her time there.

“I prepared food, like deboned fish, mixed it up,” she recalled. Deboning is “easy, a piece of cake,” she said. “Because the bones are huge.”

Now, her co-workers prepare the pâté in large commercial mixers using fish, cream cheese and other ingredients before she arrives. 

“It’s already made,” she said. “And I just package it, put the lid on it, pack it up and put in the box.”
Once Robinson labels, seals and packs each container, the products are ready to head to store shelves throughout the region. 

Employment supports and community connections

Mary Anne Maciel, director of employment/community services at spurwink|ri, said Robinson has been connected with the supported employment provider for many years, dating to when she moved into Willow Street Supportive Living in Olneyville. 

The apartment complex, created through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, transformed a former school into supportive housing with 12 apartments. 

“They’re really beautiful apartments,” Maciel said. “She’s lived there for quite a long time.”

When Robinson first came to spurwink|ri, she had a position that Maciel said wasn’t going well. The work environment was slow-paced and not a good fit. 

“She used to fall asleep at the desk. It was just not a good situation. She did not get paid, but she was supposed to,” Maciel said.

“I got paid pennies,” Robinson said.

Once spurwink|ri launched VocLinks, its employment program, its staff took over Robinson’s employment supports and they began exploring other options.

“We know that she loves to cook, and she’s really into food service, she’s really a people person, she’s very good with interacting with others, and she needs to be busy and hands-on,” Maciel said.

Robinson participated in a community-based work experience before being hired into her role. Maciel said ongoing job coaching has helped support Robinson’s success. “You know, asking how are things going today? And kind of change the vibe, if need be,” she said. “But I think we're ready to switch to job retention now.”

Maciel said Hope & Main is very inclusive and invites her to their social gatherings, including a holiday party at Dudek Bowling Lanes in Warren. She also received a holiday bonus.

“When they have those employee appreciation kinds of things, we make sure that she gets there,” she said.
Robinson coordinates transportation to work through the RIde Paratransit Program. “I write down the time they’re going to be there and time I’m going to get picked up,” she said.

Maciel said staff and Robinson’s co-workers also provide reminders related to her memory loss. “We give continued verbal reminders and work on natural supports to also remind her, like, ‘It’s time to go down now. Your ride bus will be here at 12:15,’” she said.

Robinson works from three to five hours every Tuesday, based on need. “In the summer, things are busier and they’ll ask, ‘Can you line up for a RIde bus later? We need her to stay longer,’” Maciel said. “And it’s nice that Terry Lee is flexible with that. If she needs to work a longer day, she’s OK with that.”

The art of keeping busy

When she’s done with her work on Tuesdays, she heads to her art class at Outsider Collective, an inclusive art studio, community and gallery in Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket.

“She’s a very talented artist,” Maciel said. “It’s not a structured class; everybody kind of does their own thing and creates different pieces. And then she also sells art there, too, and they have shows and different things like that.”

Her favorite art to make? “I draw a lot,” Robinson said. “I prefer pencil.”

She also attends a more structured class at Warwick Center for the Arts where everyone creates the same project. “They put on nice gallery weekend in the upstairs of the center,” Maciel said. “It’s really a wonderful thing.”

On Wednesdays, Robinson helps distribute food at the Federal Hill House food pantry. Yoga is on Thursdays. Every other Friday she learns martial arts at Mastery Martial Arts in Smithfield. 

“We have a lot of partnerships, so if people are not working, then the rest of their week, they’re offered different opportunities,” Maciel said. “She’s a busy lady. Don’t let her kid you; she does not like to be home.”

Maciel said Robinson also benefited from participating in spurwink|ri’s job club, where people gather to talk about their work experiences and hear what others are doing. Meetings begin with everyone introducing themselves and sharing where they work, exposing participants to different kinds of jobs and helping encourage those who were new to employment.

Maciel described employment as part of the culture at spurwink|ri. “If somebody comes in and they don’t work, then it’s kind of like they quickly get on board because they find out, ‘Oh, everybody else is working. I think I want to go,’” she said. 

Robinson agreed. “Yeah, you just got to give them a little influence, you know?” 

What does Robinson like most about working? “Everything,” she said. “I like the people. Yeah, they’re awesome.”

Robinson said she was excited to work, but she would encourage others who might be hesitant to try it out for themselves. “I would say you can’t say it’s no good for you until you give it a try,” she said. “You’ve just got to try it, you know?”