From right are Don Reid, Michelle Miller, and Pat Kemp of EV Michigan.

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
Jobs offered at Extraordinary Ventures Michigan such as laundry, cleaning, and indoor gardening may not seem extraordinary, but for employees, that’s exactly what they are.
“They look forward to going to their job, getting the work done, getting a paycheck. It’s very important,” said Pat Kemp, EVM Board member.
“It creates a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, normalcy, something to go to and do the same thing everyone else does,” said Don Reid, director.
EV Michigan, a non-profit organization in the Legacy 925 center in Oxford, creates employment opportunities for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other disabilities.
Clarkston employees work in several of the group’s businesses, providing goods and services to local restaurants, factories, and shops.
“They take a SMART bus from the Clarkston library to Oxford,” said Kemp, who brought the idea to Michigan from North Carolina. “It’s an amazing concept – design jobs around their abilities.”
Reid, who has been with EV Mich since 2015, has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgetown University, as well as eight years in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and the Washington Wizards. He retired from the NBA in 2003.
“It’s going great. We’re always looking for more business opportunities,” he said.
Michelle Miller, site manager and job coach at the Legacy Center, is a former substitute teacher, in 2009 receiving her Bachelor’s from Oakland University majoring in Elementary Education. She received her Master’s Degree in Autism from Oakland University in 2015.
Extraordinary Ventures started in 2010 in North Carolina, opening in Michigan in 2014 and New York in 2015.
The Michigan location started with a laundry service at Oakland University, and has since relocated to Legacy 925, at 925 N. Lapeer Road Suite 165 in Oxford.
Set up with assistance from OU autism educators, the employees’ work is very methodical, designed for how people with autism operate, Kemp said.
“The system works by breaking tasks down into stages,” he said. “There’s a lot of visual support to help employees learn the job.”
For more information, check www.evmich.org.