Success Stories

Meet some CICIL clients.

Meet Ashley

When a person first meets Ashley, they can expect to be greeted with energy and a side of sass. Ashley came to CICIL back in February of 2023. Ashley originally came to CICIL wanting to attend the center and work on social skills. Ashley has thrived and now is one of the most social people in attendance! When not socializing and engaging in various activities at the center, Ashley can be found hard at work at Walgreens. Ashley’s team asked for supportive employment services back in 2023 and CICIL was on board from the start.

Ashley has been with Walgreens since 2012. At any given time, you can find her checking customers out at the register, stocking shelves and having fun with her coworkers. Ashley is great with communication and is willing to do anything that is asked of her while at work and at the connection center. Do not hesitate to say hello if you see her out and about at either the connection center or at your local Walgreens!

Meet Robert

Robert first came to CICIL back in 2022 after graduating from the University of Iowa looking for employment services. Robert has always had charm and personality to bring to the table which has served him well when it comes to employment. Robert’s employment journey started out at AMC movie theaters in Des Moines where he worked ticket sales and concessions. Robert excelled in providing customers with legendary customer service and the overall experience that the company wanted its guests to receive. Unfortunately, AMC movie theaters closed their doors approximately one year after Robert started working there. After this happened, Robert reached out to his job developer and said “please help!” CICIL was more than happy to step back in and assist Robert in finding a new job. A few months of hard work and dedication from both CICIL and Robert went by when one day Robert received a phone call from Walgreens stating that he had an interview. CICIL was there to support Robert during his interview and to no surprise, Robert was hired right there on the spot!

Today, Robert has been with Walgreens for over a year and is doing very well. Robert has worked his way from working 15-20 hours per week all the way up to full time status and now even assists other employees when they first start at his store. Every single day when you come up to Robert’s register, he always greets each and every customer with a smile, provides exceptional customer service, and makes sure that all of his customers know about the advantages of signing up for a Walgreens credit card. Robert has also been asked to serve as an ambassador for CICIL in order to share his story and tell others how CICIL can potentially help them with their employment goals. CICIL could not be more proud of all the hard work and dedication that Robert has brought to the table and knows that he will be touching the lives of customers for years to come!

Meet Katie

Katie came to CICIL after being referred to the agency from Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Katie was determined to find a job but had no idea exactly what she was wanting to do. Katie worked for months with her job developer and did an assessment to figure out where her interests truly were. Between Katie and her job developer, it was determined that Katie actually had a passion for a more social type of job where she could interact with others. In the beginning, many applications were submitted to various companies but Katie and her developer were not successful in obtaining an interview. One day, Katie said to her developer that she really enjoyed working with plants at home and that she found it to be extremely relaxing. Katie’s developer responded by saying “where was all this information months ago?”

Long story short, Katie obtained an interview with Earl May. Katie and her developer attended the interview together and after a short half hour of talking with the store manager, Katie was hired on the spot. At first, Katie was not sure about the job itself because there were so many moving parts to the job and she felt that her disability made it so she could not do what was being asked of her. Katie’s job coach reminded her that a disability is something that is a part of you, not something that defines you. Katie’s job coach worked diligently to create job aids to accommodate Katie’s needs and before anyone knew what was happening, Katie blossomed into the employee she is today.

Katie has been at Earl May for over one year and has become the house plant go to person for her location. Katie greets each customer that enters the store and asks them what she can help them find. If Katie doesn’t have the answer to the question, she asks someone who has the information. Mark, Earl May’s manager, told Katie’s job coach “I am happy that I took the chance on her. I wasn’t sure in the beginning because I had my reservations but Katie has turned out to be a great employee who impacts the lives of each customer she comes in contact with.” Today, Katie plans on continuing her work with Earl May but is now looking at advancing her education and attending Des Moines Area Community College.