GESMV Soft Launches Food Truck Specializing in Disabilities Job Skills Training
DAYTON, OH – Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV) will host a soft launch of their Good Connections Food Truck, a new job skills training opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities.
WHAT: Good Connections Food Truck Friends & Family Event
WHO: This event is open to -
- Good Connections vocational habilitation participants, their families and friends
- GESMV employees and their families
- Individuals, SSAs and referral agencies interested in seeing the food truck in full operation
WHEN: Thursday, November 20th, 2025 4:30-6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley – Main Street Campus 660 S. Main St., Dayton, OH 45402
Good Connections represents a growing line of job training opportunities from GESMV Developmental Disabilities Services. Each one is designed to connect participants with the community in unique and meaningful ways.
On Thursday, November 20th, GESMV will host a Friends & Family Event to celebrate the launch of their latest training environment, the Good Connections food truck. The truck is an extension of the hugely successful Good Connections Café, launched in April 2024. The café is fully operated by program participants who learn food preparation, inventory, cashiering skills, and customer service while receiving personalized support from job coaches. Now, the team is preparing to take their skills on the road.
“In the coming year, we plan to tour the food trucks all across our service areas, gradually adding dates.” said Allison Underwood, Director of Developmental Disabilities Services for GESMV “We are excited to bring visibility to our participants, demonstrate their skills, and offer new possibilities for individuals with disabilities who want to work in a space that helps them engage with their neighbors.”
The Friends & Family event will serve as a soft launch, giving program participants the chance to demonstrate their skills with a smaller sampling of the public. GESMV employees, individuals and families interested in this training model, (SSAs) and referral agencies are encouraged to attend to help create a supportive experience for program participants. A limited menu of soups, sandwiches, and drinks will be available for purchase, with all proceeds directly supporting DD Services programs. Indoor seating will be available in the Eichelberger Conference Room for all guests.
The media may film participants and job coaches in advance during training sessions Monday-Wednesday 11/10-11/12 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please contact Amber Hargett, PR Manager at (937) 528-6322 to schedule a time to film interviews and b-roll footage. Anyone interested in enrolling in the Good Connections training programs should call (833) 437-6833 or email ddservices@gesmv.org for more details.
Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV) empowers people with disabilities and disadvantages, helping them achieve independence and improve their quality of life by providing 40+ programs in 29-counties spanning Ohio and Kentucky. Services include vocational skills and employment training, behavioral health, specialized programming for individuals with developmental disabilities, vision loss support, child screenings, prevention education, and youth and senior services.
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For more information, please contact:
Amber Hargett, GESMV Public Relations Manager
Office: (937) 528-6322 Mobile: (937) 304-0395