When two purpose-driven organizations join forces in a partnership aimed at generating employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), success is soon to follow. Such is the case with the partnership between Best Buddies®, the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending social, physical, and economic isolation for millions of people with IDD, and Safeway, the American supermarket chain that for over a century has continued to provide “ingredients for life.”
Since 1989, Best Buddies has steadfastly served the IDD community. Today, the organization’s four mission pillars—One-to-One Friendships, Integrated Employment, Leadership Development, and Inclusive Living—continue to set the pace in changing the lives of individuals with IDD, such as those with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury.
As part of its Integrated Employment initiative, also known as the Best Buddies Jobs program, Best Buddies is proud to team up with Safeway to help ensure that people with IDD can earn an income so they can gain financial independence and meaningfully contribute to society. According to Karl Schroeder, Safeway Northern California Division President, Best Buddies embodies the spirit of what is needed to be a difference maker in IDD job creation.
Changing Lives Through Inclusive Hiring:
Best Buddies and Safeway
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We started supporting Best Buddies two years ago. They’re passionate about what they do, have a big heart, and are very hardworking—and that’s a great combination.
“We started supporting Best Buddies two years ago,” Schroeder says. “They’re passionate about what they do, have a big heart, and are very hardworking—and that’s a great combination.”
Safeway has made taking an active role in the Best Buddies Jobs program a priority, and it shows with each and every participant in the Best Buddies program. Best Buddies’unique approach matches up the skills and qualifications of its Jobs program participants with job openings to ensure that they thrive in their work and have a positive, meaningful employment experience. In addition to developing its ongoing partnership with Safeway, Best Buddies is instrumental with the hiring process and provides ongoing support to both the employee and employer.
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Safeway’s partnership with Best Buddies has led to the meaningful and inclusive employment of 12 jobs program participants, such as Safeway team member Jerome Shelton, a Best Buddies Jobs participant, who describes the Safeway work environment as his “second home.” Indeed, for many individuals with IDD, a job with a competitive wage and a supportive team can be a game-changer. National Core Indicators (NCI) states that 85 percent of adults (people over the age of 18) with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have a paid job in the community.
But for individuals in the Best Buddies Jobs program, like Jerome, gainful employment provides them with financial independence that allows them to make key choices about their lives, invest in their aspirations, and plan for their future. The average hourly wage is $15 for a person with IDD in the Best Buddies Jobs program, and many receive benefits, including medical care, retirement plans, and life insurance. Meaningful work also allows them to feel valued, respected, and recognized for their skills and contributions, just like any other employee. With this scenario as the backdrop to this program’s success, it’s easy to see why Karl Schroeder and Safeway look for partners like Best Buddies—and for people like Jerome.
Best Buddies and Safeway: It’s not just another job.
Jerome joined Best Buddies in 2014, and in 2016, he was hired at Safeway as a courtesy clerk. Over the past seven years, he has embraced several opportunities to expand his customer service and communication skills. He proudly participates in and represents Best Buddies at several local events, including ambassador trainings. He served as a guest speaker on behalf of Best Buddies at the 2019 Tech Inclusion conference, and attended Best Buddies Challenge events in California and Miami in 2022.
Jerome Shelton’s success continues to fuel his service as a Best Buddies Ambassador.
By StoryStudio on September 15, 2023
- Full Name, Title
Sponsored by Best Buddies
- Karl Schroeder, Safeway Northern California Division President
To date, Safeway has hired a total of 12 Best Buddies Jobs participants since the Best Buddies-Safeway partnership began. Safeway’s participation continues to distinguish Albertsons Companies, Inc., a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. Since the inception of the Best Buddies partnership, Albertsons Companies has employed nearly 50 participants coast to coast, and in 2023, it was selected as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” employer. In fact, Albertsons Companies recently earned a top score in this year’s Disability Equality Index® (DEI), a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a road map of measurable, tangible actions they can initiate to achieve disability inclusion and equality.
The DEI report is the world’s largest and most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 to measure disability workplace inclusion policies and practices. Since 2012, Safeway and its parent company, Albertsons Companies, have combined to support nonprofit disability organizations with assistance that exceeds $60 million. Through continued support and partnership with Best Buddies, Safeway, continues to ensure that those with IDD can lead productive lives and thrive as working adults while making meaningful contributions to their local communities.
Safeway is an achiever and difference maker in the lives of those with untapped potential.
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- Karl Schroeder,
Safeway Northern California Division President