MODLife
Edition #5: Squad Members With Disabilities Enrich Our Lives
Our Commitment To Creating Opportunities
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and for us it’s an initiative we wholeheartedly embrace. MOD employs and supports close to 300 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)*. We know that beyond working incredibly hard, they add a tremendous amount of joy and inspiration to our stores.
All month long, MOD is celebrating our employees with IDD, their managers who support them, and our amazing partnership with Best Buddies International. The organization helps us identify social and vocational opportunities for individuals with IDD in our stores, and provides support to us as the employer as well to the employment candidates during the interviewing, onboarding, and long-term coaching process when we hire through their Jobs program.
We’re also thrilled to announce MOD’s commitment and new membership to the Delivering Jobs inclusion campaign. We’ve pledged to contribute to the goal of 1 million employment and leadership opportunities for individuals with IDD by 2025. We will provide additional training for our operational field leaders to ensure we’re recruiting, supporting, and developing them in their journey at MOD. If you’d like to show your support and donate to Best Buddies International, click here.
To hear more from our Squads and for more inspiration, check out the “Our World” video.
*Number reflects employees in corporate-owned stores
Eddy
MOD Parkland, Fl
“Throughout my day I make sure the customers are happy and have a clean environment to enjoy their pizzas. I press dough, make sure the lobby is clean and neat, and make sure dishes are washed. It’s been great. I like making new friends, learning new skills, and serving the customers. Most of all, I’m able to be myself and that means never giving up as well as advocating for myself. People with IDD want to be included in the workplace and have a competitive job.”
Kiesha
MOD Daly City, Ca
“I do a lot at MOD! I prepare the dough. My supervisor has helped me with cutting and seasoning the broccoli, and I have also cleaned dishes. I appreciate that it gives me a chance to earn my own money and be more independent. I love to greet customers when they enter and exit the store. And I have friends at work that I like spending time with. People with disabilities should have the same opportunities as people without disabilities.”
Steven
MOD Foothill Ranch, CA
“I wash dishes, press dough, work the cash register, make the pizzas, and greet customers. I like that it gets me out of my room and makes me active. The people at MOD Pizza don’t really talk to me about my disability, nor do I need to bring it up that often. The first initial thing that caught my eye in the interview was a sense of acceptance. For employers, if they hire people with IDD they’ll be getting folks who are honest, listen well, and will be loyal to the company.”
Christopher
MOD Daly City, CA
“I like everything about working at MOD! I really like pressing the dough. I’m much faster at it now and it’s really fun. I like to be helpful and respectful of other people I work with. I feel like I have a sense of community at work because I have made friends there. I like to give 100% effort during every shift. People with disabilities are hard workers, and I’m a hard worker! When you give people with disabilities the opportunity to learn new job skills, they become more confident and more independent.”