A can-do attitude is a positive and impactful force of good in the world. So much so, in fact, that the term is at the head and heart of the Kan Du Group, a vocational and habilitation service group from Ohio.
Kan Du offers classes and opportunities for people from all walks of life to learn new skills, and services to help make sure people can maintain an independent and can-do attitude.
Kan Du can be found all around Ohio, including locations opening soon in Bowling Green and Ada. According to their website, their locations “offer a talented team of Community Support Professionals to encourage, stimulate and inspire each enrollee to increase their skills and gain greater independence in daily functioning.”
Day-to-Day Development
Kan Du, originally known as Blanchard Valley Industries, has been working with differently abled people for over 50 years. Recently they have begun offering services at their locations called In Motion. The original location, In Motion of Hancock County, is in Findlay, In Motion of Putnam County opened two years ago in Leipsic and the next In Motion studio is opening soon in Bowling Green.
The In Motion program offers what they call “day hab,” or daily habilitation services, to people who would otherwise have difficulties interacting with the public or gaining employment. Services are offered for people with developmental disabilities and the elderly, ensuring they can be a part of the community as much as they’d like.
Activities at In Motion studios include museum visits and cooking and art classes. Art produced by In Motion is also available for sale at each location, including the new boutique and gallery.
Jodi Hassan, marketing & skills development coordinator, explained that Kan Du enrollees are “creating and selling art in these 3 locations; this fall we will be opening a boutique in Ada where we will sell our artists work along with other boutique items.”
The profits from any art sold through Kan Du are given completely to the artist, with no commission taken, to give other-abled artists an avenue to share their work with the public.
Invested In Vocation
An important aspect of Kan Du’s services are the Vocational Habilitation services. Allowing people who would otherwise not get valuable job training services is at the core of many Kan Du locations Workplace Development is the name of the various job placement services available to those visiting a Kan Du location. These services include resume building and interview preparation.
With these tools at hand it becomes easier for many in the community who would otherwise be jobless to find employment. For example, Dustin Sullivan is one of Kan Du’s artists who came to use their services to learn graphic design. After working with the Kan Du community, Sullivan began hosting his own podcast, “Take A Timeout With Dustin,” which is available on YouTube and through Kan Du’s website, where you can also find a transcript of each episode.
People seeking employees can use the services of Kan Du as well. Local business owners can employ Kan Du Enclaves, which are groups made up of members trained and managed by Kan Du employees. These Enclaves allow people to work and learn together, increasing the likelihood of further employment.
The Kan Du website also showcases all the various services offered to enrollees, from Sensory rooms where they can rest to Computer Labs where they can research topics online. The group shows time and time again that they can do anything to ensure they give people a can-do attitude.
Kan Du Group’s In Motion is located at 318 W Main Cross St., Findlay. For more information about their other locations, and to find a calendar of events and services, visit Kandugroup.org
