Founding members and prominent volunteers of Shredding on the Go (SOTG) gathered together at SOTG’s annual meeting on Saturday, June 14, to congratulate each other and celebrate the achievement of their goal of having the shredding business up and running by the time James Parker graduated from high school in June 2014. But it was not just a time of celebration. It was also a time of dreaming and planning.
As with any small business struggling tosurvive, SOTG faces many challenges in the modern market, but it also leaves a mark on a history, carving out a way for a dream to be achieved by people with disabilities. Difficulties are easy to find: business certification, storage, finances, marketing: these are the hard realities of making a business sustainable. It is even harder for people with disabilities, who rely on those who care for them to take each step toward the goal. Despite the hard realities, we at SOTG are mindful that our work stands as a precedent, as a reminder to the hungry young hearts, that nothing is impossible. And James and the founders of SOTG take joy in having people offer a helping hand, like the HNW Chamber of Commerce, which helps to open up new horizons; loyal customers who keep bringing us their business, new customers, or interns who are ready to make the business bloom.
We are stepping into another year with more opportunities and plans to grow, hoping to increase our family of employees to help out those who want to share a common goal. So far, we have five workers, whole-heartedly enjoying their shredding jobs and serving the community. And when it comes to finding your vocation, these two are the top requirements. Thus, we help to clean up your attics from unnecessary documents; we employ people with disabilities and save the environment from an extra load of trashed paper by recycling it. The principle is easy, and while the details can be challenging, here we are, brave and inspired by James Parker’s smile to persevere and to keep Shredding on the Go working as a business that serves its customers and enriches the lives of its workers and volunteers.
Submitted by Sasha Smith, SOTG Media Intern
