Anthony Brescia has only been at Little City for a year, but his heart has been in it for most of his life.
For much of his working life, Anthony owned a store he was proud to operate while also raising a son with developmental and physical disabilities. When it came time to move on from the store, Anthony knew exactly what he wanted to do.
“I’ve always been interested in working with people with developmental disabilities because it is what I know. I think there is a lot of ‘clumping’ when it comes to people with developmental disabilities where people want to put them in a certain box or think they are only capable of certain things. I hold participants accountable because I know from my own son’s experience that people sometimes underestimate what individuals with developmental disabilities can do. My son may test those expectations at times, but he is capable of more — and so are the people I work with. We have a lot of fun and enjoy our time together, but we’re always working toward goals.”
Anthony works in the Employee Development Services program where he helps people looking for community-based employment to work toward their goals. As a former store owner, Anthony said he knows how valuable people with developmental disabilities can be in a workplace, and it is about balancing expectations with abilities and comfort levels. And after a year at Little City, Anthony said he is proud of the progress made by so many people, including Jimmy, whom he said has become a friend.
“I am just proud of the progress of so many people I have worked with, and I have made a lot of friends along the way,” Anthony said. “Someone like Jimmy who is closer to my age is always fun to talk with and be around. We can talk about music and things we like that some of the younger participants aren’t interested in. It’s been a wonderful experience.”