BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – If you have a heart for others, there is a job in town for you.
The Purple Cat, which offers day-program alternatives for adults, has some open positions.
Janine Miely has been with Purple Cat for seven years. She is involved in the arts and crafts section, which is always popular.
The Purple Cat helps people with disabilities participate in vocational functions and even classes that develop daily-living skills.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from it,” Miely said. “To me, these are people that just need love and patience.”
The Purple Cat helps 250 clients and 90 more in residential areas. It has 400 staff members but needs more to work in day programming and residential areas which run 24-7.
“I can’t teach kindness. I can teach you to work with somebody with autism. I can teach you how to use a proper lift and get someone in and out of a bed in a wheelchair,” said owner Jimmy Sutman.
There are five Purple Cat locations and two residential locations.
Clients learn skills that promote independence, benefitting them at home, work and in the community. Coming soon is a camp for adults.
“There’s going to be a lot of positions available,” Sutman said. “Anything to do with camping, teaching our folks about the woods and birds and trees, so it’s exciting.”
The Purple Cat has day programs, which include sewing, art, gardens, music, an internet radio station and a candy store. It wants workers who have a desire to be a friend and share experiences.
“We started some of those programs, just based on their passions, so I’m hoping we’ll get some people through the doors that are passionate about things, and we’ll start new programs based on that,” Sutman said.
Applicants need to pass a background check, drug screen and have a high school diploma.
You can apply online at www.bigpurplecat.com/careers or in-person from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd, Bldg. B, Boardman, OH 44512.
For more information, call 330-743-3444.