Young Man Follows His Dream
Danny Hochadel has always dreamed of being in law enforcement.
Now he is living that dream as a part-time employee of the Citrus County
Sheriff's Office. The Inverness man has a developmental disability and
receives services from Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).
During October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, APD
is
highlighting the stories of Floridians like Hochadel who are contributing
members of their communities.
Hochadel loves law enforcement so much that he's willing to do it for free. In
fact, he still volunteers for a neighborhood Crime Watch program. Volunteering
is how he got started in the Citrus County Sheriff's Office in 2004, scanning
and shredding documents. He did such a good job that he was hired as a
records
aid about a year and a half ago.
"Danny scans and shreds our offense reports, and he's really good about doing
anything that we ask him to do," said Kim Helms, supervisor of records and
transcription at the department's Operations Building in Inverness. "He is
learning a lot about how the office works and how we serve the community."
Hochadel is quick to say how much he likes his job. When asked why, he
replied, "The people. Because I meet a lot of the deputies and detectives who
come in."
According to Helms, who is Hochadel's supervisor, the connection he has with
his co-workers goes both ways.
"Danny gets along great. We involve him in all our activities, including
community fundraisers," said Helms. "We had a big barbecue to raise money
and
he was actively involved. He's one of my crew."
Hochadel was flying high, quite literally, during the department's celebration
of Hochadel's 30th birthday.
"They gave me a ride in the new Sheriff's Office helicopter!" said Hochadel.
"It rescues victims, puts out forest fires, and does surveillance. It's got a
computer keyboard in it, and everything!"
Helms has nothing but rave reviews for Hochadel's job performance and
dependability.
"Danny is here every day, on time," said Helms. "He's never been late. As far
as I can remember, he's never called in sick. I can always rely on him to be
here. And he's wonderful about staying on task."
Hochadel walks from his apartment to work, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
He also attends an adult day training program one day per week, with the goal
of getting his driver license.
Helms feels that some employers tend to stereotype people with disabilities.
She thinks it’s a mistake to hire them only for cleaning and maintenance
tasks.
"They are capable of much more than that," Helms asserted. "I would
encourage
people to open up their minds. The benefits to people like Danny far exceed
anything that we can imagine. He's always dreamed of being in law
enforcement,
and we've been able to make that dream come true. You're helping them with
self esteem and self worth."
"They always tell me how good a worker I am," Hochadel said. Then he
remembered another reason why he likes his job so much.
"We get paid every two weeks, on a Thursday," he said. "And I'm liking the
money."
APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit www.apdcares.org or call toll-free 1- 866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).
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