Page 2 - Success Story Newsletter Spring 2018

Popcorn Brings Prosperity

Fun fact you might not know about Mariana (pictured above): her favorite kind of popcorn is french toast
flavored. How does she even know what French toast flavored popcorn tastes like? Because she sells it!

Mariana has been a participant in our supported employment program here at Easterseals New Jersey
for the past four months. Recently, Mariana started working at Popcorn of the People as a sample seller.
Popcorn of the People is a local non-profit organization that employs individuals with autism to sell gourmet
popcorn as a way of providing meaningful employment and opportunities to the community. Marina Perez
works side-by-side with her coworkers in an environment that encourages social interaction and teaches
workplace responsibility. Through her work, she is able to utilize a variety of skills with her Easterseals job
coach in order to thrive in an open and diverse environment.

Mariana has further developed her skills on a daily basis and has been able to double sales since she started
work, an impressive feat considering this was her very first sales related job. The positive effects of her work
go beyond the work itself. She has exponentially increased her interpersonal skills which has led to better
relations with her peers both in and out of the workplace. The paycheck isn’t anything to sneeze at either, as
it helps her to live independently and buy things with her own hard-earned money. If YOU would like to find
out if french toast flavored popcorn is your new favorite, seek out Mariana as she serves up samples with
Popcorn of the People!

- Danielle Androvich, Employment Specialist & Daniela Bardesio,
Director of Community Employment | New Brunswick