The Village of Key Biscayne and the de Moya Foundation have developed a partnership to empower people with unique abilities to join the workforce.

The Power of Potential is an outreach program to help people with special abilities find jobs in Key Biscayne and beyond by encouraging companies to hire them despite being intellectually and physically challenged.

The Key Biscayne Disability Advisory Board and the de Moya Foundation will introduce the Power of Potential program during a luncheon celebration set for 11 a.m.-1 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Community Room 120, 88 West McIntyre Street.

The two parties are urging Key Biscayne business owners, community leaders, families and local organizations to attend the event to support their endeavor to employ people 18 years-old and up.

People with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities feel left out of the job market due to their conditions.

Ilise Binhak, chair of the Key Biscayne Disability Advisory Board, said progress is being made since the group reached out to the Key Biscayne Chamber of Commerce for assistance.

Some companies in the village currently employ people with unique abilities.

Binhak said she’s hoping to get more businesses involved by launching Power of Potential which coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.

“We want to get the ball rolling,” she said.

The de Moya Foundation is non-profit organization founded in 2015 by CEO Lileana de Moya, which is designed to create employment opportunities for young adults with unique abilities by building long term partnerships with the employers and providing support for the employees.

Jorde de Moya, the foundation’s executive director, said his younger brother Alex, who has unique abilities, inspired his mother to launch the foundation.

To push her drive further, Lileana went back to school and earned a master’s degree in special education from the University of Miami to learn how to implement strategies to help people overcome learning, behavioral and development challenges.

Jorge said his mother helped start Florida International University’s College of Inclusion program, which is delivered through FIU Embrace Education Program, to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities including Autism to access inclusive postsecondary education, employment and independent living opportunities.

Alex was the first graduate of the program and is currently an ambassador for the de Moya Foundation.

“She started the foundation because of Alex and his drive and motivation to be accepted into the world with his unique abilities,” Jorge said.

The foundation’s main focus is simple – to help young adults with unique abilities reach their full potential and lead them on the road to success by:

• Introducing them into a professional work environment

• Helping them become self-sufficient

• Instilling confidence and independence

• Teaching the importance of self-worth

• We foster hope, confidence and independence to ensure successful employment outcomes and community inclusion,” said Jore de Noya.

Jorge said since the foundation’s debut it has partnered with 80 companies in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and placed 280 young adults with full-time and part-time jobs. Ten of those individuals have been working for the same companies for five years.

“One of our goals is building long term employment solutions that’s beneficial to companies,” he said.

Jorge said the foundation has reached out to businesses in Key Biscayne and offered to break down barriers in hiring young adults with unique abilities. Some business owners expressed some concerns over liability issues, but the organization offers disability and sensitivity training for employers and co-workers and job training for the young adults.

“They get someone with detailed focus and loyalty to their communities, always working hard and always on time which is beneficial to their companies,” he said.

Jorge’s involvement with helping people with special abilities extends beyond the foundation.

Jorge is currently a national board member for the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), which focuses exclusively on prioritizing real jobs with real pay for people with disabilities. As a board member, Jorge highlights what the foundation is doing in the state of Florida including inspiring techniques to land young adults jobs and encourage other states to join the crusade.

“The foundation was lucky enough to reach California and Seattle,” he said. “We have one mission: employment should be available for all.”

Binhak said she applauds the partnership with the foundation and its extra effort to get young adults jobs by offering employment training, job coaching training for people with abilities, and training for employers to help work with them.

Binhak said the foundation can match the interests and strengths of young adults and place them in the right positions.

“These individuals have so much to offer,” Binhak said. “We can’t say enough to stress they are valuable and effective workers with the proper training.”

Binhak said they want to get as many people as they can employed, and if businesses on the island reach their capacity, they are open for employment in the mainland. “Other businesses out the village are encouraged but the first focus is Key Biscayne since we are local,” she said.

The Power of Potential luncheon is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Annie Thompson at Atkbspeech@gmail.com or (305) 951-2373