August 2026: Thomas recently participated in an EPIC Work Experience at Hill City Church through RSVP, Inc. The EPIC Work Experience program provides adults with disabilities opportunities to develop workplace skills, gain hands-on experience, and build confidence in real-world work environments. Through valuable community partnerships with organizations such as Hill City Church, participants learn important job skills while contributing to meaningful work within their local communities.
During his time at Hill City Church, Thomas assisted with preparing materials for the church’s children’s programs and Sunday school classes. His responsibilities included cutting paper materials, applying tape to place sentence strips and pictures onto pages, laminating materials, hole punching pages, assembling pages into books and binders, organizing supplies such as crayons, markers, colored pencils, pens, hand sanitizer, and lotion, placing stamps on envelopes, and organizing completed materials for church staff.
Throughout the experience, RSVP, Inc. staff were present during Thomas’s shifts to provide support, encouragement, and guidance as needed. This support helped Thomas actively participate in workplace activities while developing new skills and confidence. Thomas also worked under the direction of Hill City Church staff, who went above and beyond to create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment. Staff members were patient, encouraging, and genuinely committed to Thomas’s success. They provided clear instructions, identified meaningful tasks that allowed him to contribute to the church’s work, and consistently made him feel like a valued member of the team. Their kindness, flexibility, and dedication to inclusion played a significant role in making the experience both positive and meaningful.
By the end of this opportunity, Thomas strengthened skills related to organization, attention to detail, following directions, and task completion. His contributions helped Hill City Church staff prepare materials for their children’s ministries while providing him with valuable workplace experience. RSVP, Inc. is especially grateful to Hill City Church for opening its doors to Thomas and demonstrating what a strong and inclusive community partnership can look like. Hill City Church’s staff showed a sincere commitment to creating opportunities for adults with disabilities to learn, grow, contribute, and feel welcomed within their community.
