Group helps people with disabilities find best futures
BY CHARLES BERMAN cberman@pioneerlocal.com January 30, 2012 12:40PM
Customers receive items Saturday at the Best Futures Cafe in the Park District of Highland Park's Centennial Ice arena. The organization opened this concession stand that employs local youth with disabilities, including autism. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:08AM
When Highland Park resident Robynn Medansky thinks of the besieged job market, her thoughts focus on how much tougher it is for people with disabilities to find meaningful work.
That’s what motivated Medansky and seven other North Shore moms who have teens or young adult children with disabilities to create Best Futures, an organization that recently opened its first job site for those with disabilities.
After years without a concession stand, the Park District of Highland Park offered a former storage area in its Centennial Ice Arena to Best Futures to sell food and drinks to the gym and ice rink users.
The concession stand opened Jan. 7 and is now staffed with 22 employees, including Medansky’s 16-year-old son, Eli, who has autism.
“It gives them a sense of community and purpose,” Medansky said. “People with disabilities don’t always have the opportunity that they deserve, or that maybe others have.
“We are trying to change the patterns for our kids and make a statement to our community that people need a sense of purpose and pride, and they can work and live like everyone else.”
The weekend concession job also provides the employees a real-world learning environment to gain new skills, like job training, teamwork, working a cash register, stocking the stand and interacting with customers. High school volunteers work as each employee’s job coach.
“Our employees are always happy to be there and the community has been supportive and very patient,” Medansky said.
“I’m so pleased with our community for supporting our venture and our employees.”
The concession stand at Centennial, 2700 Trail Way, is Best Futures’ first venture.
The group, which includes three moms from Highland Park, two from Deerfield and one each from Northbrook, Buffalo Grove and Skokie, hope to create more job opportunities for those with disabilities across the region — “whatever we can do to help our kids,” Medansky said.
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