Jonathan tried immensely to cooperate
with and succeed in both the basic
living and working facets of the world.
In fact, after attending a forum school
along with Bergen County Vocational
Technical High School, it was as though
he exuded so easily what most parents
would want for their children: an utter
passion for personal achievement and an
authentic ambition which fueled this in
every capacity. For example, Jonathan
was named valedictorian of his vocational
preparatory school; he received
his driver’s license; and he saved every
dime he had to purchase his own vehicle.
Jonathan continued on his healing journey
with a hands-on training program at
the JFK Career Development Program in
Edison, a facility that assists those facing
struggles following a stroke or brain
injury in addition to diagnoses similar to
that of Jonathan’s. He received crucial
coaching in areas of life that so many of
us take for granted. It was through active
participation that he learned basic home
repairs, doing his own laundry and training
in cooking. In essence, Jonathan was
laying the groundwork for a solid foundation
in his adult life. At this same location,
he was also being trained and
paid to work in the actual hospital there
doing medical billing. He later attended
William Paterson University, where he
explored his love of singing and playing
the piano and received his Bachelor of
Arts in Music Studies.
Shortly after, Jonathan faced unemployment
for over two years. This
pained Barbara, his mother, straight to
her heart because her main goal is to be
his advocate in life, but her hands were
tied. Interview after interview, there
were no callbacks. Although Jonathan
had the intellect and was the epitome of
motivation, he lacked the customer service
skills to accompany these fine qualities.
His bad luck streak soon came to an
end and golden opportunities began to
arise in every facet of his life. The same
forum school in Waldwick that Jonathan
Pictured: Top, Sonja Bozic (right), a filmmaker, has created a
movie – "Chocolate Milk" – on Jonathan Weiner's life. Bottom,
Jonathan Weiner (far left) is joined by his parents – Barbara and
Larry – and family member Paul (far right).
attended himself offered him a full-time
position as a teacher’s assistant, aiding
teachers with the multi-handicapped students.
“I have a first-hand understanding of
what they are going through,” said
Jonathan. “So I love being able to help
them. Now I have the chance to give
back to the community in this way.”
His parents Larry and Barbara
beamed with pride overall and noted that
he was even selected to become a certified
lifeguard there.
But this was only the beginning of
Jonathan’s newfound independence.
Barbara’s sister who works for TD Bank,
frequent contributors of the Bergen
County United Way, received word
about their new program in partnership
with Madeline Corporation: the Very
Special Homes Program. After an application
process, Jonathan was called in
for an interview and is now living in one
of these attractive homes in Mahwah
BC Health, Beauty & Fitness 37