The Choice Group

Longevity in any career is a rare and remarkable achievement—but when someone dedicates three full decades to the same workplace with pride and enthusiasm, it's something truly special. That’s exactly the story of Tito Woods, a longstanding client of The Choice Group who recently celebrated 30 years on the job. Tito began his career journey right out of high school with the support of a DARS counselor in Danville. He was hired to work in the cafeteria at a local hospital in Eden, North Carolina—a role that would evolve over time but always remain rooted in his commitment to showing up, working hard, and doing his part to support the team. Over the years, the hospital’s cafeteria operations have transitioned through various management companies, including industry giants like Sodexo and Aramark. Through every shift in leadership, Tito remained a steady and dependable presence, adapting to new systems and expectations while continuing to do what he does best. Today, Tito still enjoys...

At The Choice Group, we are dedicated to fostering the talents of individuals through tailored employment programs. Vincent Murray from our Hampton Roads team shares the remarkable work of Xavion Simon, who has thrived through Project SEARCH and Supported Employment. Xavion began as an intern with Project SEARCH in April 2023. His exceptional performance during the internship led to a job offer from Sentara's Environmental Service Department. Since starting in this position, Xavion has demonstrated incredible dedication in his role. Xavion's attention to detail, effective communication, teamwork, and time management skills have made him highly proficient in his duties. These strengths have enabled him to excel in tasks such as cleaning, mopping, and sanitizing various hospital areas, including bathrooms, windows, walls, and furniture. His thoroughness and reliability have made him a valued team member. One of the initial challenges Xavion faced was his reaction to constructive...

“I love it here. I am able to go to work, eat dinner, and start working. And then I go home to my own apartment and care for my cats.” Two years ago, Rebecca was living in a group home in New Jersey and was working at a local retail store. Although she loved living there, she wanted to be closer to her family and have a cat.  When she moved back to Virginia and into her parents’ home, she wanted to find a job to start earning and saving money. That’s when she met Kate and the pair began searching for a job. At the same time that she was working with Kate, Rebecca was also working with her Case Manager to help find an apartment in Charlottesville. Together, Rebecca and her Vocational Counselor applied and interviewed for over 9 different jobs. And when Rebecca attended a job fair in Charlottesville with a food service company, she was offered a job.  At the same time she interviewed to work at the dining hall, she moved into her own apartment. Rebecca has worked ...

Cameron and his counselor, Nancy, set out to find him employment with a goal of working in a hardware store. In May of 2016, he became employed at the Lowe's in Suffolk through the Supported Employment program.  Cameron is hardworking, reliable, loves manual labor, and cares about other people. The challenge came because of his specificity about working in a hardware store. There are a very limited number of hardware stores or stores in general in his area of Hampton Roads. His mom drives him to work so he and Nancy had to look in Suffolk, Franklin and Windsor for positions. These are relatively rural areas with limited numbers of stores, especially hardware stores. However, he found a job! Cameron is a Loader but often helps the team in other departments by c ollecting carts, helping customers load their cars, stocking, restocking, filling the water tank for employees, assisting customers, helping with any heavy lifting, and helping the team solve problems. To help him ...

Nicholas expressed interest in stocking, and was open to stocking anywhere.  His vocational counselor, Alexandra, went in person to the employer several times to advocate for him.  He doesn't communicate verbally so Alexandra worked with him to create a "one pager" for the employer.  Nicholas used a communication device to type out his one pager, explaining why he wanted to work for the employer, and a little bit about himself. He was open about his communication challenges, however that he was just like everyone else. Nicholas is friendly, and outgoing. He does not let his disability hold him back, and although he cannot always communicate with customers, he always offers a smile and directs guests to an associate if they have questions.  He is detail orientated, remains focused at work and always has a smile on his face. Alexandra assisted him with developing strategies to communicate with his employer, as well as customers in non-verbal ways.  They created...

Quality Assurance with a Smile     Through diligence and hard work by both Scott and his then job coach Kortney Cotton, Scott was able to secure employment with the Food Lion in Elkton, VA in early September 2019 as a Quality Assurance Specialist!        Scott has had continuous employment with Food Lion for four months now, usually working two, sometimes three, shifts a week.   Through his dedication and hard work, Scott has become a valuable team member to Food Lion, and says that he enjoys his job. Scott has a million-dollar smile which has engaged him with both co-workers and customers, he always works hard, he is punctual and reliable, he takes great pride in his work, and he epitomizes what a great employee should be!      Scott’s parents, community, and Job Coaches are proud of his accomplishments!

Cristian and his vocational counselor, Mara, began working with each other earlier this year. Just a few short months after beginning their search for employment together, the two found Christian his current position at Home Goods in Arlington where he has been since May 2019.  Mara describes Cristian as being  very creative and friendly, with a positive outlook on life and an infectious sense of humor. In the beginning, Cristian showed an interest  in art, graphic design and writing, so the two started with stores that had to do with those interests.  When Mara first met Cristian, he had recently graduated from the Arlington Career Center. Cristian had completed some internships through school, but had never landed a competitive, independent position. Initially, he was very nervous about the whole idea surrounding employment. He was nervous about making employer calls, and going in to follow-up on applications really made him anxious. Although, every ti...

Jorden and Nancy began working together at the end of October 2017.   Jorden lives in Capron and the nearest town with employers is Franklin.   As part of the vocational services process, Nancy arranged an opportunity for Jorden to explore what a Courtesy Clerk does, and Jorden really enjoyed the experience.   The primary purpose of this experience was to give Jorden the opportunity to “try on” a position to determine if the job duties were those he liked and would be capable of doing.   In the process, however, it demonstrated to the manager firsthand how capable he is at doing all required job duties, which worked out well!   The manager of the Farm Fresh in Franklin was impressed.   Although Jorden is personable, he may have had difficulty conveying his abilities in a standard interview.   In this situation, the Manager spoke with Nancy and Jorden after the assessment about open positions, and offered Jorden a job.   Unfortunately,...

Ethan and his Vocational Counselor Nancy McNamara began working together in late 2015. Ethan showed a great interest in working in the food service industry, but he did not have a work history and lives in a rural area with limited employers. Ethan has difficulty answering questions and articulating his abilities in an interview, so Nancy advocated for working interviews. The Owner at Don Pancho's Cantina in Franklin determined Ethan would be an asset to them and decided to give him a chance. Ethan does well in his job because he is friendly and hardworking. Management always makes note of how much the customers love Ethan. They also can always depend on Ethan coming to work on time with a great attitude. His current tasks are to buss tables, clean the parking lot, and host. Hosting includes greeting and seating people and giving them menus, bringing them chips, salsa and silverware. Nancy maintains monthly communication with the Managers and Owner of Don Pancho's, a...

Trivette and her Vocational Counselor Nancy McNamara began working together in the summer of 2015.   Trivette was interested in a position in the food industry.   Although Trivette did not have any prior work experience, and lived in a rural area with limited employment options, they were able to find her a job as Lobby Attendant at the local Dairy Queen, where she started in September of that year and is still working there four years later.   Nancy describes Trivette as hardworking, responsible and reliable, three qualities in demand by employers.   Trivette works hard and always strives to do her best, which had helped her to excel in her position. She recently received a raise and promotion to Food Prep Worker, where she is doing an amazing job.   Instead of cleaning the lobby, restrooms and parking lot, and interacting in a welcoming and positive way with guests, she is now responsible for food prep for salads and sandwiches.   When not involv...

Joshua and his vocational counselor, Justin, began working together in April of this year. Together they found an available position at a local KFC restaurant where Joshua has been employed for the last six months.  In the beginning, Joshua and Justin completed several assessments to determine Josh's interests and the positions that would be the best fit.  This was followed by interviews and finally a job offer. Although having to overcome difficulties with social skills, including being comfortable speaking with others, Joshua’s social skills have improved greatly. Justin helped Joshua work on new ways to approach and greet guests, as well as helping him to remember his daily job duties, which have also significantly improved since first starting employment at KFC.  Joshua has a strong drive to learn new things which has really helped him in his job. He has a very positive attitude and is always excited to come to work. Some of his job duties include washing...

Leon Turner and his vocational counselor, Nancy, began working together in July 2017. Together they found his current position at Hardees in September 2017, and he has now been working there for almost two years. Prior to Leon finding his current employer, he lived in an area that offered few opportunities in cleaning, where he had prior experience. With limited transportation, Leon needed to walk or bike to work, which then sparked his interest in working in food service. As they spoke with employers to identify job opportunities, Nancy and Leon found that the local Hardee's in Waverly was hiring! Leon was offered the job at Hardee's and accepted. His current duties include trash removal, mopping, sweeping, cleaning the parking lot, as well as preparing and cooking all of the food for the line. Leon cooks chicken, chicken tenders, string beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken gravy. He is extremely productive and personable. Everyone at Hardee's always comments on how ...

Joseph began working with his vocational counselor, Justin, beginning in June 2019. Together, they found Joseph an internship at Laughing Dragon Kung-Fu, a local martial arts studio, where he has been for 2 months now. While Justin was there to guide Joseph into finding employment, Joseph was the one who initially thought of pursing a position at the studio. After speaking with the manager of the studio, they got the green light for Joseph to start the internship! The manager informed them that everyone at the studio thought it was a great opportunity for Joseph to excel and use his skills to teach others. In the beginning, Joseph had to work on his social skills when teaching the children at the studio, but has shown great improvement. Since beginning the internship at the studio Joseph's patience has increased tremendously and his motivation to work and help others has improved greatly as well. Joseph's determination to do well is one of his strengths that has al...

Nathan and his vocational counselor, Justin, began working together in April of this year. Nathan has currently been employed in his position for two months. Before finding Nathan work with his current employer, Justin and Nathan met weekly to determine the field in which Nathan would like to find employment. Together, they then completed several situational assessments to determine the best fit for Nathan. Nathan and Justin came to the realization that Nathan liked working in a warehouse environment, so they completed an application for Three Notch'd Brewery, and the client received and accepted the job offer. Initially, Nathan had to overcome some obstacles like working on his pace at the job, multi-tasking, as well as working on communication. Although, this wasn't an issue for long, he is a very hardworking and determined person so he was able to quickly improve on his speed, communication and multi-tasking. Nathan is responsible for packaging 6, 12 and 24 packs, ...

Alex was referred to the Choice Group by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services in April 2016, and was paired with a Vocational Counselor. Alex had earned a diploma in 2016 from Ocean Lakes High School and participated in a Work Experience Program at the Oceana Commissary Bakery in Virginia Beach. She received assistance in applying for a paid position at the Commissary, and was hired as a Bakery Associate. Alex learned the position with help from her Vocational Counselor, and has worked part time for nearly three years, packaging portions of baked goods in support of the bakery. Alex’s supervisor said that Alex does a good job, follows the rules regarding safety and proper procedures, and enjoys talking with her coworkers while she works. She receives high marks on evaluations from her supervisors, and her smile brightens the mood of all around her. Alex has benefited from her supportive parents, helpful staff and management at the Oceana Commissa...

James and his Vocational Counselor, Nancy, began working together in June of 2016, when they began looking for his current position. James began working at Hampton Sheet Metal in January of 2017 where he was the first client hired that utilized Supported Employment services. He had a welding certificate but no welding work experience. Nancy and James worked with his DARS Counselor using OJT (On the Job Training) which is a program where DARS will pay for the client's first few months of pay while they are in training, as a way to advocate to employers to give him a chance. Employers will not hire people without welding experience so they used OJT as a way to advocate for James to get an employer to give him a chance. After many months of contacting several employers, Nancy was finally was able to get Hampton Sheet Metal to take a chance on James with the OJT program. He ended up doing very well and they kept him on. James has received several raises over the years and has rece...

Keith and his Vocational Counselor began working together in early 2015. Keith has been employed with his current employer, a KFC/Taco Bell, going on four years now.  In the beginning, his Vocational Counselor contacted employers in the area to see who was hiring. Keith was interested in both customer service and food service. Both he and his Vocational Counselor completed several applications which resulted in a job offer for a Lobby Attendant/Dishwasher position at Golden Skillet, but things didn't work out. After about a month and a half, the restaurant had to close due to poor business. At that time, Keith went back into job development, where together he and his Vocational Counselor were able to secure a new position as a Lobby Attendant at a local KFC/Taco Bell. Keith was later offered an additional responsibility of unloading the trucks. From there, Keith eventually tried fry cooking, where he continues to work full-time today. Initially, Keith was hesitant to accep...

Mark Stockton is employed as a Garden Helper at Windmill Heights Garden Center located in Culpeper, VA where he has been working for about 9 months during the seasonal months. Mark and his Vocational Counselor have been working together, through The Choice Group, for a little over a year now. Mark began support by trying out different job positions through services called Situational Assessments. Through the assessments, it was determined that he enjoyed working outside with his hands as he has previous experience as a farm hand. Mark received supports through DARS and the WiOA program that allowed him to pursue his interests of horticulture/lawn care through the WiOA internship. After Mark had completed an internship with WiOA, Windmill Heights Garden Center brought Mark back for part-time support completing lawn care and gardening tasks. Mark enjoys completing routine tasks and being outside in the cooler weather working, and also has a very direct and friendly style of commun...

Veronda Rooks-Price is a Supervisor at a call center in Hampton, where she has been employed for a little over 2 years. Nancy, her Vocational Counselor, began working with Veronda in 2014, when they initially found a position that did not work out, before finding her current job.     DARS helped her get back into job development again, after losing her initial job. With the help of DARS, and Nancy, Veronda landed her current position where she has been successfully employed for over 2 years.  In the beginning, Veronda was interested in Human Resources and Management positions at a call center. Veronda completed her own applications and went on interviews independently, and Nancy assisted her with finding job leads and following up on them to secure interviews. Veronda currently makes a good supervisor because she is friendly and caring. She is a team builder and transformational leader and brings great energy to her team. Before finding her current success, Veronda wa...

Kristin and Nancy began working together in June of 2018. Together they then found her a job at a local Pizza Hut in September of that year. Kristin was interested in customer service, food service or animal care so finding the position at Pizza Hut was a great fit. There are limited employers in her area so they looked at the few employers that were in her area and also branched out to Smithfield. Smithfield is the closest town with employers and that is where she found the job.  Kristin is very friendly and easy going so it is easy for her to get along with everyone. Kristin is highly motivated to learn new things, which has paid off in her job as a crew member. She was hired as a Customer Service Representative, but now also serves customers and runs the register.  Upon trying to place her in a job in her area, Nancy and Kristin faced a couple of other obstacles. Kristin relies on her mom to transport her at this time and has had a very limited work history. In the...