Green Sports NJ Seeks Business Grant Funding To Empower The Disabled
by Damon Cooper
I went back to college at the age of 32 to pursue my dream to teach. With a little bit of hard work I graduated with honors in May of 2010, the first child in my family to do so. During my student teaching I was able to work with students with developmental disabilities. It was a bit of a challenge, seeing as I had to adapt and create special lesson plans to accommodate my special needs students. The result was extremely rewarding. My students were very proud to be able to achieve the tasks that I challenged them to do. This was my first true belief that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities had a lot to offer if they were given a chance to do so. Although I do not suffer from any disability, I know what it is like to be different. I have a severe overbite requiring thousands of dollars of reconstructive surgery to fix. I have been prejudged simply by the way I look. This is how most individuals with disabilities feel everyday. People are quick to look and perceive that these individuals can't do certain things. I want to change that perception. When I look at a person with disabilities, I see what they can do, not what they can't do. The business that I want to expand highlights my perception. After graduating in May 2010, I spent that following summer searching for a teaching job. I even got my teaching certification to teach in Maryland as well as New Jersey. To my disappointment there were no teaching jobs available, and my bills, specifically my student loans, were piling up quickly. I finally gave up looking for a teaching job in September 2010, and decided to get a job anywhere just to pay the bills. That is when I came across an ad in the paper. The employers, Arc of Union County, were in search of someone that was knowledgeable in sports, had a retail background and had the ability to teach individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before going back to college I ran a successful retail business, and as a health and physical educator with special needs training, I possessed all of the requested qualifications. I was hired in November of 2010, to build Green Sports NJ, a community-based not-for-profit organization/business that specifically employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and trains them in all aspects of the business. I have actually taken this a step further by helping my employees to become entrepreneurs and start businesses for themselves. Green Sports NJ is heavily dependent on grants. I eventually want Green Sports NJ to become self-sufficient. We have enough grant money to survive maybe another year. My salary is very minimal; after I pay all of my bills I barely have enough to buy necessities like clothing. I'm looking for grants to increase the salaries of all Green Sports NJ Employees, increase the marketing power of Green Sports NJ, and expand Green Sports NJ to help employ even more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I have invested a year into the organization, building it from the ground up; I would hate to leave the organization at its infancy, before I have a chance to bring it to its full potential. Sadly if I am unable to get continued funding, leaving would be my only option. Green Sports NJ specializes in selling new and used sports equipment at greatly reduced prices. All new equipment is discounted 25% below market value, and used equipment is discounted 50%-75% off market value depending on the condition. To keep with the "green" recycling theory, we use all natural and environmentally safe cleaning agents to clean our products. Currently we average about $1600 dollars a month in sales. I project with proper marketing we can double that number each year, especially with an expansion plan. Green Sports NJ is located in an affluent town, so the donations of sports equipment that we receive are great. The downside to this is that the town does not necessarily need to save money. They enjoy it, but they don't need it. Part of my expansion plan of Green Sports NJ would be to build another facility in a town/area with a lower SES (Social Economic Status) so we can drastically increase sales. I have already collected enough equipment to fill another store. I would like to take full advantage of Green Sports NJ's not-for-profit status, and make Green Sports NJ more than just a not-for-profit retail store. With my retail business background, I am able to assist individuals with disabilities with their goals of starting their own businesses. I am currently assisting one of my employees in starting their residential home cleaning business. This would be an added feature of Green Sports NJ. Currently my employees learn how to market and display products, learn data entry skills, retail management, product refurbishment, inventory control, efficient Internet tracking skills, and top-notch customer service skills. The right kind of business grant funding would allow Green Sports NJ to thrive and in so doing empower more people with disabilities.
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