Sam's Club, The Arc of Southside hold mentoring day

A dozen workers with mental disabilities from the Hatcher Center spent a couple of hours shadowing employees at Sam’s Club on Wednesday.

It was the second time the retailer has hosted Disability Mentoring Day with the Hatcher Center, an employment program under The Arc of Southside in Blairs. The collaborative effort provides Hatcher’s disabled employees a chance to learn valuable work and social skills and to train for working in the community.

“This is a great opportunity for our people to get out and see what it’s like,” said David Gusler, The Arc of Southside’s director of employment, during an interview at the event Wednesday morning.

The mentoring event is held yearly at Sam’s Club to honor and recognize workplace contributions from those with disabilities.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re disabled,” said Cathy Stratton-Kennon, a claims associate at Sam’s Club, as the store’s and Hatcher’s employees readied themselves to start the day. “You can be whatever you want to be.”

Stratton-Kennon’s son, Jeremy Stratton, 34, is a Hatcher Center employee who participated in the event. He shadowed club manager Michelle Eakin on Wednesday — just like he did last year, Stratton-Kennon said.

“He fired me,” Stratton-Kennon joked.

“Jeremy is all about work,” she said of her son, who became legally blind from a virus at age 4. “It’s all about the people. He’s a people person.”

Stratton also lost 20 percent of his brain function after his childhood illness, Stratton-Kennon said.

The Hatcher Center has 106 employees that perform a variety of jobs for contractors throughout Southside Virginia. They also make items to sell in the Hatcher Center Outlet Store, including quilts, sock monkeys and dog beds.

The Arc of Southside hired a job coach — Mandy Matherly Stowe — in September. Stowe helps Hatcher employees develop resumes and build job-interview skills for employment in the community. She also makes sure they are matched with jobs that fit their abilities.

Stratton once again found a good match shadowing Eakin during the event. He stopped by the pharmacy and told workers there they were doing a good job. He said he liked being the “boss man” and making sure no one gets out of line.

“It’s good for us to build those relationships,” Eakin said of the event.

At the end of the day, Hatcher employees who participated received a certificate and had lunch including pizza and cupcakes at the end of their shift.

Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee .