Hard Work and Easterseals Support Help Ashley Shine at CVS

Ashley is friendly, outgoing, and has a positive attitude, but her learning disability made it hard for her to find the right job.

Thanks to her own hard work and a unique program created by Easterseals and CVS, however, Ashley now has a job she loves.

Called Train with Me, the program gives people with disabilities the opportunity to attend CVS pre-screening interviews and New Colleague Orientation Register Training Classes. This way, Easterseals clients can test their job skills and CVS can see if they would be good candidates for employment.

CVS is a longtime Easterseals partner that has hired many people with disabilities. After she attended classes, CVS hired Ashley to work at their Porter Square store in Cambridge. Since then, store manager Robin Brennan has been supportive of Ashley and is working closely with Easterseals to help her succeed on the job.

Ashley, 29, is better organized and has made good progress in learning the store layout. “I always help customers, no matter what,” she said. “And my coworkers are so nice. They always help me. They really make me feel welcome.”

But Ashley still has a ways to go. She finds it difficult to follow verbal directions and organize her work, and she is challenged by new tasks or changes in routine, according to Easterseals Employment and Training Services Manager Nancy Mader.

Even so, CVS and Easterseals are committed to helping her succeed.

“Easterseals is definitely one of my favorite partners,” said Roneline Singh, CVS Region 2 Learning Center coordinator. “They’re quick to respond, the communication lines are always open, and they always follow up. The trainers tell me they love having Easterseals clients as students in their classes.”

Easterseals services Ashley received were made possible by a partnership with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.