Michael Allcorn received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for his commitment to self-advocacy and community service from the Self-Advocates of Central New York.
Throughout his adult life and in high school Michael was told that he would never obtain his job as a chef or cook. One day while on a walk, Michael decided that he would apply for his dream job and was hired on the spot. Now after nearly a year of employment at a local restaurant, he is being considered for a supervisor position.
“When I first met him he was so timid,” said Michael’s job coach, Carl Grogan, who works at The Arc of Madison Cortland. “He had some negative experiences with other job coaches before moving to Oneida, but through proper training, he really broke out of his shell.:
“The man that he is today is a completely different person than the man that I first met.”
As a member of the Madison County Motivators, Michael advocates for increased to the wages for Direct Support Professionals with the bFair2DirectCare movement. Michael became a member of the Madison County Motivators along with his wife Tish shortly after they moved to the Oneida area. The Motivators are a Self-Advocacy group that encourages its members to stand up for themselves and others who are unable to.
For more information about the Madison County Motivators contact Robin Collins at Robin.Collins@arcofmc.org or look for them on Facebook. You can also learn more about Supported Employment Programs at The Arc of Madison Cortland by contacting Ashley Hillenbrand at Ashley.Hillenbrand@arcofmc.org or by calling 315.363.3389.