The Good Hands People Give Back

As the mother of an adult child with a visual impairment, Joy Bruckman knows how people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or visually impaired, can be underestimated.

“Joel was told he would never ride a bike or drive a car, and he’s doing both of those things,” Joy says. “He succeeded in school, went to law school and is a respected attorney. Too many people say you can’t do things. Then when you overcome them, it’s extra rewarding.”

In addition to his personal and professional accomplishments, Joel is a member of both The Chicago Lighthouse Board and its Junior Board for young professionals. With those deep connections, when The Lighthouse was looking for volunteers to conduct mock interviews with participants from its Employment Services Program, Joy jumped at the opportunity to recruit a few of her colleagues from Allstate Investments. (Allstate Investments is the investment arm of Allstate insurance.)

“I explained how The Lighthouse helps people from newborn babies all the way through seniors, as well as Veterans, and how this was a way to change somebody’s life,” Joy says. “If you help with these interviews, it gives the participants an opportunity to have independence and employment.”

In keeping with Allstate’s culture of philanthropy and giving, Joy’s coworkers were happy to sign up and conducted virtual mock interviews for Lighthouse Employment Services clients.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many of The Lighthouse’s mock interview sessions have been virtual, in part to reflect the new reality of job-seeking. The virtual format also benefits volunteers. “With a virtual interview, you can block out a small amount of time and still be successful, and it’s the same for the applicant,” Joy says. “I think it makes sense for how we do things these days.”

For her colleagues, the experience was rewarding and eye-opening, Joy says. “It was fulfilling to each of them in a different way,” she says. “One of them told me he was looking forward to doing it again.”

To learn more about The Lighthouse’s Employment Services program click this link. If you are interested in mock interview volunteer opportunities for your business, contact Martha Younger-White at martha.younger.white@chicagolighthouse.org.