The Home Depot in Sequim saw the need for someone to come in four hours a day, five days a week, to water their trees and shrubs.

They thought this might be a good fit for an individual with a developmental disability, so they reached out to Clallam County Health & Human Services Developmental Disabilities to encourage interested applicants to apply.

CCHHS-DD in turn notified its employment providers and Pierce Jones & Associates encouraged their client Andrea Reise to apply, which she did. After completing the application and interview process, she was offered the seasonal position.

With the support of job coaching services through Pierce Jones & Associates, Reise has been doing well with her watering tasks. Even though she rises at 5 a.m. to catch the bus from her home in Port Angeles, she doesn’t mind because she declares, “I have the best job in Sequim,” and “I love my job.”

Having Reise focus solely on watering this section of plants, located in the parking lot, frees up other associates to complete tasks inside the garden center, proving to be a win-win for her and the store.

Along with commuting and working, Reise is a competitive swimmer and softball player. She also enjoys making crafts with her friends.

On June 24, The Home Depot supervisor Sara King accepted the Clallam County Health & Human Services Business Leadership Advisory Committee (BLAC) award for The Home Depot’s commitment to diversity in its hiring practices, particularly in hiring employees with disabilities.

This Employer of the Month award is presented to area employers who have one or more individuals with developmental disabilities in their employ.

Previous 2015 recipients of this award are Olympic Medical Center, Holiday Inn Express, Port Angeles Jack in the Box, Smuggler’s Landing and Sequim Goodwill. Each recipient receives a certificate to keep and a plaque to hang in their place of business for the month.

At the end of the year, the plaque will hang in the county building to honor these employers for their commitment to diversity and inclusion in the work place.

The Business Leadership Advisory Committee is a business to business network promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in the community and workforce. They have established a mentorship program for businesses interested in exploring the possibility of hiring individuals with disabilities.

For more information about the Business Leadership Advisory Committee, visit www.clallam.net/HHS/HumanServices/blac.html.

Mary Cliffton, Developmental Disability case manager for Clallam County Health & Human Services, will connect employers to the various community employment providers and agencies should they be interested in hiring workers with disabilities. She can be reached at 417-2407.