Kayla has found joy in her work

Kayla Jayroe

Kayla Jayroe wanted to try something new that would let her work on her communication skills and engage more with her peers. She tested out working at the Bridges Foundation in late 2017 as a part-time worker in their workshop. 

“Ellie the Elf on the Shelf gave me a note one day,” she says, “saying that I’d be great at working there full time. That’s what convinced me.” 

From then on, she worked five days a week at the Bridges Foundation workshop. She loves the job because it makes the time go by faster and it’s work she enjoys. 

In August of 2018, the Bridges Foundation opened up their shop. The Bridges Mercantile sells dog treats and dog toys out of tennis balls and donated t-shirts, both of which she loves making. She switched to working a few days a week to try out working with more people in a new position.

By September she was working at the mercantile four days a week. She’s still at the workshop on Wednesdays, though. “I like to see my friends and work with them,” Kayla says.

The Bridges Foundation works with her to set up goals and tasks that can help her continue to learn. At the mercantile, this means that she’s recently been focusing on learning where everything goes in the store and why it needs to go there. 

“It’s fun to keep learning, and I want to stay with Bridges for a long time,” she says.