MERS Goodwill

Kenny Smith

Working Partner in Goodwill: Ricardo’s Italian Café

Few employees come with a guarantee, but Ricardo’s Italian Café in St. Louis’ historic Lafayette Square has two, and they come by way of the Vocational Rehabilitation program through MERS/Goodwill.

Ricardo’s has employed several Goodwill clients over the past six years, but the most successful, said Mark Adams, owner of Ricardo’s, has been Kenny Smith, who has worked at the Italian eatery for just over one year.

Kenny’s role has changed a lot since he started, Adams said. “When he first started, he just did dishes and he was part time. Now he’s full time … and he does quite a bit,” including some important morning food preparation.

Because of a developmental disability, Smith was accepted into the life-long retention/follow-along program where he would receive employment support through MERS/Goodwill for the remainder of his life.

Ricardo’s also currently employs Johnny “Jero” Fraizer, who is blind in one eye and completely deaf. He has been at the restaurant since July, and Adams said things are going very well.

“We had a little trouble getting [Jero] started, [with him] not knocking things over – teaching him to turn his head since he has no peripheral vision. Goodwill has been really good about working with him. And anytime there has been a problem, we call [Goodwill]. They come in and make sure he understands everything,” Adams said. “These guys are treated like any other employee. The best part is, they kind of have a guarantee!”

In response to a “help wanted” ad in the paper several years ago, Goodwill first contacted Ricardo’s to see about employment opportunities for members of the Vocational Rehabilitation program. “I couldn’t have somebody in a wheelchair in the kitchen, but if they’re able to do the job, what’s the difference if they can hear or not?” Adams said.

The other employees were great about welcoming the Goodwill clients to the staff, Adams added. “It’s really funny because I tell them, ‘You have to treat them like [any other] employee,’ but everyone gives them a hand more than they do anybody else, at the beginning. Now, they don’t!”

Every staff member at Ricardo’s has learned at least a little bit of sign language to communicate with Jero, although an interpreter was necessary for the first couple of weeks to help him get acclimated. Jero can also read lips, so Adams and the staff can still communicate by speaking to him.

Two of Adams’ children know a good amount of sign language from various service projects through school, and Adams’ brother happens to be an interpreter, “but we don’t use him when he comes in,” Adams said. “He’ll go back and talk to [Jero] as a guest,” often telling each other jokes.

Adams said they are still in a period of adjustment with Jero, but “right after the first month, we could communicate well enough.” And now, he said they hardly need to use sign language with him. “We can just hand him an empty pan with one noodle in it and he knows to go down and fill the pan up.”

Kenny holds a special place in the hearts of the staff and regular customers at the restaurant because after only two weeks on the job, he was attacked and stabbed on his way home from work. With an overwhelming outpouring of support from the neighborhood, Ricardo’s was able to raise $3,000 to help replace items that had been stolen during the attack and to help pay some medical bills. “I would have done that for any employee,” Adams said and added that he wanted to make sure Kenny knew his job would be there when he returned. Kenny has since moved to day shifts rather than working nights at the restaurant.

“[Kenny] is a nice guy. That’s the best part – he shows up for work every day. How often do you get that from some teenagers?” Kenny has received two raises and more responsibilities in his time at Ricardo’s. Losing an employee several months ago left Adams to do most of the morning prep work in the kitchen by himself, which became too much for one person to do. “[Kenny] started doing lettuce and croutons, and he would get bread and put it in the oven. He thought it was so cool that he was doing all of these preps. And it worked out great,” Adams said.

“I didn’t expect a lot [when I first started hiring Goodwill employees]. I expected to have to work really hard and spend more time with them, and it turned out I didn’t have to because Goodwill was so good about having someone come in and work with them,” Adams said.

“Kenny has been the most surprising of all in what he can do and how much he has learned. So now, because of him, my expectations will be pretty high [for other Goodwill employees],” Adams said and laughed.

MERS/Goodwill is a non-profit agency that provides for the vocational needs of individuals who have barriers to employment through disability or economic disadvantage. It operates 24 rehabilitation centers serving more than 10,000 people from 53 counties in the bi-state region. Revenues from 40 Goodwill stores assist with funding MERS/Goodwill job training and employment services. For more information about MERS/Goodwill, details on its St. Louis Rams promotion, or to find a Goodwill donation point near you, call (314) 241-3464 or visit the Web site at www.mersgoodwill.org.

Ricardo’s Italian Café offers casual, family-friendly dining in the historic Lafayette Square neighborhood. For more information, call (314) 421-4833 or visit the Web site at www.ricardositaliancafe.com.