Joe

Meet LCI member, Joe.

Joe has been a dedicated employee for Dean Distributing in Green Bay for over 25 years as a maintenance worker.

A native to the Green Bay area, Joe is an avid Green Bay Packers fan and loves the sport of soccer and bowling. Joe is quite active in his community where he takes part in Special Olympics, volunteers for Salvation Army for the “Red Kettle Event” annually, and volunteers with local law enforcement officers at Texas Roadhouse to raise money for Special Olympics. Outside of work, Joe likes to stay active biking, walking about Bay Park Square Mall, or attending Packer events!

While in high school, Joe did maintenance work during the summer which he enjoyed and helped him build employment skills. He then worked in a sheltered workshop making subminimum wage for almost 10 years until he “knew it was time to get out.”

With the help of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and Aspiro, Joe was hired at Dean Distributing. Joe had a job coach help him learn his duties and keep him on task when he began at Deans but quickly was able to become independent. Joe now follows a checklist to keep him on track which helps him remember all his tasks.

Ryan, Joe’s Supervisor, says that “everyone knows who Joe is, and he knows everyone.” Joe has built a connection with his coworkers, as each morning he greets them with talk about sports, the weather, or whatever he saw on the news that morning. Ryan says that Joe brings a positive attitude to work every day, is reliable, and always does a good job.  Ryan is convinced that with his positive attitude, “Joe has never had a bad day in his life.”

When asked what Joe enjoys most about his job, he replied “everything, it’s a family-owned business and everyone feels like family”.

Lakeland Care is proud to support hard working individuals like Joe and to partner with employers like Dean Distributing who help us create a world we all want to live in.