Today on the show, I’m at the Valley Shelter Workshop—or VSW—talking to their Executive Director, Hugo Saltijeral.

The reality is, for the employees Hugo works with at VSW, many of whom are adults with cognitive disabilities, work is less of a burden and more of a gift. For them, work isn't just a means to an end. It's belonging.

Hugo's the type of person that sees open doors everywhere, and seems to get his energy from the opportunities they represent. His approach is really a personification of Batavia, a town the calls itself the city of energy.

It's a personification I sometimes struggle to relate to. Is work really a gift? How energizing can it really be? And what does it mean to give others the opportunity to do something that so many of us try to avoid?

This episode of Area Code: Batavia is sponsored by 212° Construction Group.

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Area Code: Batavia is produced by Area Code Audio. It's hosted and produced by Richard Clark. Edited and mixed by Matt Linder. Additional production help from Jennifer Clark.

Mentioned in this episode:

212 Construction Group