Anton at work

By Anton Gadbois, No Boundaries Participant and Guest Blogger

When I first started working at Hewn in 2014 I was not sure that I would be the right fit for the job. I had experience as a dishwasher, but I was anxious about the amount of work I was expected to do at the bakery. Plus, I didn’t know the people there and I was worried that they wouldn’t understand how my disability affected me.

More than five years later, Hewn is now a place I can call home. It’s a place where I feel welcome, comfortable and supported. The people and the environment are the reasons why.

Anton with Hewn owners Julie Matthei and Ellen King

The owners of Hewn, Julie and Ellen, show so much love to everyone. They hire great people with all kinds of backgrounds, education and talents. They support everyone on staff when they struggle and are flexible and caring. For example, if I come in stressed out, they take the time to talk to me and make sure I’m collected and ready to work. To help remind me of all the things I need to do, they’ve created a task list that I hang on my locker.

This makes the bakery a great environment to work in. The whole staff – the kitchen and the front of the house – follow Julie and Ellen’s examples. We all work as a team and help each other out. Everyone supports me with my goals and understands if I need extra support, especially Justin. He is always there to listen to me if I am having a rough morning.

We really care about each other and have become good friends. We have a lot of fun working together and even spend time together outside of work.

The customers are great, too. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the “regulars” by name. It makes me feel good when they say hello to me.

I am grateful for this job and for my coworkers, and I thank them as we start out a new year. I know that my mom, who passed away a few years ago, would be so proud that I have kept my job at Hewn and so happy that I am working with such wonderful people.