"He's a star!"

Philip (2nd from right) outside his house, surrounded by his sister, Kristina, dad, Wayne, and mother, Ileana.

DDD member shines at work and in the community

Being an active member of a community with a desire to help others. Work that's enjoyable and sometimes a little challenging. Love and support of family. A home of their own. These are some of the characteristics shared by successful individuals, including 31-year-old Philip, a member of the DES Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

Philip is a prep cook at a steakhouse restaurant in Tucson. "I make the ribs and potatoes and sweets," said Philip. "I cut the chicken, then I hand it off to the main cooks. They finish it off." When not working in the kitchen, he enjoys working "the front of the house" among the hostesses and servers. He'll also fill in to roll silverware when someone calls in sick. Philip has been working at the restaurant for almost a year. Prior to that, he worked eight years at a different restaurant. In fact, he was one of the original hires, as reflected by his employee number of 3. That stability is one of the attributes Kattina Farragut, his former DDD Support Coordinator, boasts about Philip. She lauds his determination in "reaching out to get a job and then maintaining it!"

At his former place of employment, the main cook became a mentor to Philip and taught him how to cook. A few years after Abe left, Philip decided it was time for him to move on. He turned to the WorkAbility program, a contracted DDD Employment Services provider,  offered through United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Arizona.

WorkAbility helps individuals with disabilities prepare for competitive, integrated work opportunities in the Tucson area. Participants learn how to create a resume, conduct a job search, prepare for an interview and assist with job placement. Learning how to go online to search and apply for jobs was a necessity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Philip participated in the WorkAbility program twice. During the second time, he helped others learn how to make the program work for them.

Philip has been a DDD member since 2007, the same year he was transitioning into Empire High School. Eric Rockingberg, Philip's DDD Support Coordinator, noted that Philip struggled with academics at first. "But from 10th grade on, he started to excel both academically and socially," said Eric. Philip and Eric have been collaborating together for the past 12 years.

Philip enjoys a life of independence and giving back to the community.

A key turning point for Philip came when he became involved with Empire High School's football team. The head coach took Philip under his wing, and made him an assistant. That set the stage for the development of a close friendship with two of the players, Max and Woody. "They watched out for him," said his father, Wayne. "Max and Woody included him in everything."

Philip and his family love to watch sports together. Philip and Wayne have season tickets for Cardinals home games, and mom, Ileana, joins Philip to watch NASCAR races every Sunday.  "He can tell you every person who's won every race, every championship, who owns the cars," said Ileana. "His memory for NASCAR is phenomenal! He's that way with football, too. He can tell you all the teams and who plays for them and which position."

Also while in high school, Philip enrolled in the Transition from School to Work program (TSW). This led to him holding various part-time positions at Walgreens, Empire's cafeteria, and United Cerebral Palsy. He also worked at SAGE Ceramics through the Easterseals Blake Foundation, and Raytheon through another DDD-contracted Employment Services provider.

Committed to helping others, Philip regularly attends Mass at St. Rita in the Desert Catholic Church, and joined the Knights of Columbus, which is a Catholic Men's fraternity.  Wayne explained, "He always heard of them [Knights of Columbus] because they support the Special Olympics, and now he helps out at many of their programs to serve others in the community."

Holding a steady job and being active in the community wasn't enough. Philip wanted to be on his own, and in 2019, Wayne bought his son a two-story house. Philip is responsible for maintaining everything on the inside, while the homeowner's association maintains the exterior. It's taken a little practice, but he's learned to follow the schedule of which days to take out the garbage and recycling bins. At home, he cooks burgers, pasta, and brats. He and his sister, Kristina, make Costco runs, where Philip picks up items such as orange chicken and lasagna. His favorite meal to make and eat is breakfast–specifically, French toast.

Kattina praised Philip for his overall "leaps and bounds" achievements including a life of independence:  "He's really a star!"