One Big Step Forward through Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center

By Triena B.

I went to the Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center from March 20-August 20, 2014. The school is in Fishersville, VA.  At first, I was scared. I became very close& dependent on my family after my accident. Being away from them and being an independent adult took some getting used to. But, I stayed at the school and finished the Business Program that I signed up for.

I finished the school term with my Customer Service Certificate and a Customer Readiness Certificate.  On September 26th of this year I will go back to WWRC to participate in the graduation ceremony. The school offers a lot of programs to participate in. Their vision is to be a Community of Service Excellence in Vocational and Medical Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities. Their mission is to provide people with disabilities comprehensive, individualized services to realize personal independence through employment.  

I studied business.  I learned Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Publisher. I thought I had learned all there was to learn about these computer programs, however, I learned what a major impact my accident had on my memory.  I was glad to learn these programs all over again.

The only thing I felt was a negative about this situation is that we had to live in a dorm. It was just like college, however my roommate and I were so totally different, it didn’t work. After three weeks of complaints, I was moved to another room by myself.  The new roommate that this girl got also had complaints about her. This made me know that the issues I had with this person was not all in my mind. She was just not a person that was easy to get along with.

This experience at WWRC will help me to pursue any goals I set for myself in the future. I learned the new aspects of four computer systems, I learned what it takes to live on my own after a traumatic brain injury, and I learned how to handle myself around other people with disabilities. I learned that just because you are different, doesn’t mean you are less of a person.

Best Experience I've Had Since My Brain Injury

by Matthew S.

I received my traumatic brain injury August 2006. Since then I lost the job I had at Kelly's Tavern as a cook and a job at T. J. Maxx as a shipping receiver. I started attending the Denbigh House in November 2012. I started applying for jobs over the internet and brushing up on my everyday living skills. It took a whole year after I put my application in to Manpower to get a job at Lipton/Unilever of Suffolk, Virginia.

My experience getting a job with Manpower at Unilever is probably the best thing I have done since my injury in2006. There were some challenges that I had to overcome. Being aware of the time is one of the challenges that I had to face. You have to be on time for your break so your co-workers can take their breaks. Another challenge knows the danger of machines that you are working on can cause. Another challenge is work is not a social place to talk and goof off all the time. There is a time and place for fun and games and work is not the place.

There are some pros to going back to work. One of the best things about going back to work is the money you make. No more asking to borrow money. Having your own job makes you independent. You no longer really have to count on someone else for your financial problems. One of the greatest positives that have come from me going back to work is having something to do with my time. "Idle hands do the devils work," they say which is so true.

In the future I hope to get hired by Lipton. As of right now I just work for a contractor who does work for Lipton. I hope to become a forklift driver for the company.

Job Assessment Experience

By Shasmin A.

For the past years, I have been searching for a job, but having difficulties. I talked to my vocational counselor and after working through the Denbigh House, I received a job coach.  Yesterday, May 21, 2014, my job assessments began.  I went to TJ Maxx in Newport News, Virginia and had my first job assessment with my new job coach. There, I was offered to work in three different areas: as a dressing room assistant, a stocker, or a truck unloader. I chose the dressing room assistant. During the two hours I was there, I was taught how to work the dressing rooms. First, I had to check the rooms to make sure there wasn’t any paper or clothing left inside. Next, I was taught that if I worked in that area, it was necessary to keep the dressing room area clean: pick up trash, dust areas, vacuum if needed, and wipe the dressing room benches and mirrors. Once the customers started to come to the dressing room to try on clothing, the process was to ask how many items they had to try on, count the items to make sure that it was correct, and then give them a card that had the number of item on it to put on their door. After the customer(s) finished, if he or she didn’t like the item, you take it from them and place them in different sections on a card to later be picked up by someone else in the store. When you go through the job assessments, you can choose to try out as many places as you find you would like to. Through my first assessment, TJ Maxx employees learned that I am very friendly and enjoy helping and working with people and I can catch onto the tasks easily.