JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 A local nonprofit is shining a light on a workforce gap that affects millions of Americans \u2014 and one Jacksonville woman is helping close it, one load of laundry at a time.<\/p>\n
The Arc Jacksonville<\/a> is among the organizations leading the charge in creating employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, commonly known as IDDs. One of its businesses, Laundry Caddie<\/a>, is a pickup-and-delivery laundry service that puts that mission into practice every day.<\/p>\n Heather Martin is one of the people making it happen, and Laundry Caddie\u2019s first hired employee.<\/p>\n Martin, who has autism, works alongside her colleagues to make sure every customer\u2019s laundry is handled with care \u2014 checking pockets, sorting garments and tracking each order using unique customer logos.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I write notes for the other Laundry Caddie customers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n For Martin, the work carries real meaning beyond the daily routine.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get a job and you can support yourself and make sure you got enough stuff to sustain yourself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Sarah Troup, director of workforce innovation at The Arc Jacksonville, says Martin brings an energy to the workplace that is hard to miss.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is the first person who greets me when I come in every morning with the laundry,\u201d Troup said.<\/p>\n Martin\u2019s story reflects a much larger challenge playing out across the country.<\/p>\n