I’m the first customer for the new batch of Stardust at Duluth Cider.
I came in before opening to talk over some planning details and I heard about how the employee behind this started his training with cleaning
tasks, then Kyle McKean got him getting involved in the packaging before this fine individual started sharing flavors he thought sounded good and sharing an interest in production. Tara Norstegard, his supervisor, shared that he is very much enjoyed by the staff and the “best employee we have”.
I was very visibly moved. I didn’t expect to be that affected by kindness.
It is often a difficult and frustrating path for many disabled individuals, including neurodivergent ones, to maintain consistent employment or find it in the first place. There is also the added arduous task of trying to obtain the feeling of being “one of the guys”….feeling a little less “less than” and more “your difference isn’t a hindrance, it’s a talent that pushes the rest of us forward”. We often take for granted the journey it takes to find the things that make us feel whole, settled, or having purpose, and just how long it can take to some to get there. Or even the depth of joy that exists to see anyone get there at all.
The bravest act an ally can do is to love. The second greatest, in my opinion, is to give space for a chance. A local business just showed in practice that someone from an often overlooked community was worth investing in, hearing from and deserving of the dignity of hard work. That individual is now going to bring in revenue with a quality product. This is just one step in the facet of how representation and the inclusion of expanding employment can lead to economic development. Duluth is doing some very brave work even in the midst of heaviness: a stardust, if you will, in the dark night.
Family Advocate
6dCongratulations