Papillion expands its subway business, which provides services and career opportunities for people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities, with two new ventures.
360 Community Services, a two-year-old general support agency with offices in La Vista and South Omaha, opened a new facility at 145 W. Second St. in December.
The downtown location currently provides mental health treatment and counseling and manages Young Adult Transition Program services, including a contract with the Papillion La Vista Community School. More services will be added in the coming months.
The group also opened 360 Common Grounds, a coffee bar in Papillion Landing, in early January.
360 Community Services CEO Bill Ehegartner said: “It’s just a wordplay, using coffee as a way to connect people.”
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A small shop open in the morning offers a variety of beverages. But as Ehegartner points out, the project isn’t about brewing coffee for his customers.
“We’re not training. We’re not Starbucks. We’re trying to focus on skills that can be transferred to employment,” he said. I think one of the biggest things is building self-esteem, communication skills, building the confidence to interact.”
Ehegartner says the job introduces good behavior in the workplace, helping clients and students feel comfortable interacting in public. This kind of program is one of the reasons why 360 opened an office downtown.
“You have to be creative with the programming you’re assembling. There’s no better way to do that than by putting people in the middle of the community,” he said.
Ehegartner said he chose the area because of the potential opportunities for workers with disabilities, with more than 80 businesses nearby.
“We got five or six of these companies to buy into our business and essentially create an apprenticeship program with different companies, whether it’s a restaurant, the flower industry, or a daycare. If we can, we have many options that can offer different types of experiences,” he said.
Ehegartner, who has worked in the field of disability services for over 20 years, has ties to downtown Papillion.
A Papillion resident, he and his wife Carla were the original owners of Twisted Vine. He said he took lessons learned from that startup to pass on to his 360 programming, including incorporating workers with disabilities.
“Disabled people are just that. They are people,” he said.
The business currently contracts 10 school districts to offer transition programs and serves more than 300 clients ranging from school children to seniors.
About 20% of his clients are unable to get any kind of job, he said. The services he provides include educational opportunities, recreation, transportation, and oversight of various health care needs.
But even after years of outreach, people with mental or physical disabilities are stigmatized in the workplace. Ehegartner says he deserves regular working hours, reliable transportation and a decent wage.
“We don’t want this to come across as ‘warm and vague.’ No, these individuals are part of a community. We want to get to the point where we can break down that barrier. No, this is a business. Here. Let’s see what we can do in. If we can do this here, how can we reproduce this,” Ehegartner said.
For more information, visit 360communityservices.com or facebook.com/360CommunityServices.
