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August 2005
ORANGE, NJ -- Six-and-a-half years ago Robert Davis was down on his luck. He was out of work, out of money, and it seemed to him, running out of time. With four children to support and his life and self-respect to maintain, he was looking for help but didn’t know quite where to turn. That was when a truck bearing the phone number of The First Occupational Center of New Jersey drove down his street.“I saw the OCNJ phone number on the side of the recycling truck and thought, ‘I’ve got to do something, let me give them a call,’” the East Orange resident recalls. It was a decision that would change his life forever. Only this change, unlike others in his life, would turn his world into something positive, hopeful and most importantly, meaningful. Back in 1974, when he was 17 and a senior at Newark Tech High School, life’s purpose was all about basketball. A high-school basketball star whose talents helped send the school to the State Tournament, Robert had a clear vision for his future. Then the stabbing crushed his dream into a thousand pieces.
MONTHS OF REHABILITATION
Stabbed in the shoulder and neck by a jealous rival, Robert was left paralyzed on the left side of his body as a result of a severed nerve. He spent three months rehabilitating at Kessler Institute, enduring painstaking therapy to get himself on the road to recovery so he could not only finish high school, but learn how to take care of himself, as well. Able to walk after completing his therapy but left with a permanent limp, Robert set out to build a career for himself, obtaining a certificate in drafting and a black seal boiler license from Essex County College. A series of jobs followed in the 1980’s as superintendent of apartment buildings in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson and Lodi. Then, he hit hard times, struggling to find employment and desperately seeking a break. That was when he made the call to OCNJ. A referral from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) led him into OCNJ’s training program in Building Services in February 1999. Things were looking up when he was hit with another blow – the sudden passing of his mother, with whom he had enjoyed a close relationship. But however bleak things looked for him personally, management at OCNJ was starting to notice the strong work ethic, dedication and abilities of their determined “trainee.”
NEW BEGINNING
In June 1999 Robert was approached by both Rocco Meola, President and CEO of OCNJ and Tanya Edghill, Vice President of Program Services, who asked him to not only join the staff, but also supervise the trainees in Building Services. What Robert had originally seen as a training ground for job placement in the community had suddenly been transformed into permanent employment – at a supervisory level. That’s when the clouds started to lift. Robert moved to the OCNJ-owned North Oraton apartments in East Orange in April 2003 and by the end of the year he obtained additional employment as superintendent of the complex. It was more than Robert could have hoped for.“I discovered that there is no limit to what The First Occupational Center can do for someone who needs their help. They educate you, train you, help you to obtain training certificates and gain employment. I learned a lot and am grateful for everything they have done for me. I feel like they have always looked out for me.” Maybe that’s why Robert feels compelled to help others with disabilities progress and move in a positive direction in their lives. “I feel like I’m a shepherd, guiding the sheep,” he explains thoughtfully. “Now that I’m on my feet I want to help others to get there. I want them to learn so that they can succeed. It’s a good feeling.”
The First Occupational Center of New Jersey is the state’s oldest and largest vocational and job placement agency, providing services to developmentally disabled, elderly and economically disadvantaged New Jersey residents and their families since 1954. OCNJ uses an entrepreneurial approach to training and securing jobs with the goal of helping workers move from dependence to independence. The Center provides jobs through its seven wholly-owned and operated companies, including Recycling, Building Services and Groundskeeping, Production Services, Micrographics, Abbry Security, Printing Services, and the OCNJ Driving School, as well as within the community.
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