Lakeview Center Vocational Services : Success Story

A Great Challenge

Earl Reuter is a taxpayer, and that makes him a very happy man. That means he's holding down a job – despite challenges created by Hurricane Katrina and a developmental disability.

Earl can attribute much of his success to his employer, Gulf Coast Enterprises. Established by Lakeview Center in 1986, GCE employs approximately 1,100 individuals on private and military contracts across five states and reports annual revenues of about $30 million.

The individuals served by GCE have barriers that keep them from finding traditional employment. But, GCE goes further than providing jobs and benefits. GCE helps them succeed on the job through coaching, supervision and support.

A Great Fit

Earl, 40, began his career with GCE working at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Miss. He really had the hang of his job in the kitchen, where his chief responsibility was running the dishwasher, a job requiring meticulous attention to sanitation and detail.

With an attitude that any employer would welcome, he gave it 100 percent. But, Hurricane Katrina wrecked Gulfport, and Earl took a hit too. His home and car were damaged, and he thought he was out of work since the retirement home also was damaged extensively and closed indefinitely.

Fortunately, GCE was able to offer Earl and several other Gulfport employees jobs at a newly secured contract with the Naval SeaBee Base Food Service operation in Gulfport. And Earl's new job was operating the dishwasher! He had to be carefully retrained because the equipment was different, but the GCE supervisors were well aware of his needs and they coached him through the transition. He was quickly back up to speed.

Earl is part of a team of employees who support the kitchen at mealtime by serving food and maintaining a clean environment. A supervisor checks on them every 30 minutes or so, a common scenario with GCE. Some employees may need one-on-one coaching, and others may not require such close supervision. GCE provides the appropriate level of supervision to ensure that employees succeed and the job gets done to the satisfaction of the customer.

A Great Result

Earl works about 40 hours a week, drives a car and lives at home with his parents. He's a curious and chatty guy, always greets you with a wide smile, offers his hand for a shake and tells you how great life is.

A GCE employee for 10 years now, Earl had worked before, but he was not able to be successful. And, of course, that's the key to GCE. Staff work with employees to ensure their success, and that has a cascading effect on the community that is difficult to measure. If he could not work, Earl might have to depend upon state or federal programs to support himself.

Earl Reuter clearly takes pride in his work and he sees himself as a value to the community. "GCE has provided stability in my life," says Earl. He's proud to be a taxpayer and plans to work at the Navy base until he retires.