Shannon Decker (from Columbia Credit Union) presenting the check, Daniel Martinez from Innovative Services NW Debbie and Lou Hijar (owners of MADdogs Gourmet Hot Dogs), and Teresa Bonawitz the GVCC’s 2016 Ambassador of the Year from Self Balance Massage.
CONGRATULATIONS to MADdogs Gourmet Hot Dogs, who received a $500 grant from Columbia Credit Union for winning the #LocalThanks contest in November. The winning Facebook post was written by Daniel Martinez, a Job Coach for Innovative’s Employment Services program:
“So, y’all know I’m a job coach for people with disabilities and I have to say that Innovative Services NW greatly appreciates MADdogs Gourmet Hotdogs for being so gracious in employing two people in our program who have some barriers. The owner, Debbie, and the rest of the team genuinely care about people, and you can feel it as you walk in.
Although they have their game together by winning hearts through the stomach, they have taken the time to make our participants part of their family. In a world where people with disabilities are often left on the outside looking in, the staff at MADdogs treats individuals with dignity and worth. This makes it easy to say that MADdogs may be a small business but it has huge heart ❤️. #localthanks #inclusionworks #employmentforall #gohaveadog #supportmaddogs”
MADdogs employs two participants of Innovative’s Employment Services program, Joseph and Sherry, both of whom have been working for MADdogs for more than a year and are still as excited as ever to go to work each and every day. Debbie, the owner of MADdogs, said, “The Job Coaches do an amazing job to support us as a business and our employees. We appreciate everything that Daniel has done.”
Daniel shared,
“I am so fortunate to get to see this community team effort through employment services and the individual growth while working with participants like Sherry and Joseph every day. It is such a great thing to see MADdogs awarded for the kind of inclusion they represent.”
In addition to the $500 award for MADdogs, Innovative was awarded a digital media ad on the Greater
Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) website.
Thank you Daniel, Columbia Credit Union, and GVCC!
