Paycheck into purpose: The Arc Jacksonville aims to create job opportunities for people with IDDs

A local nonprofit is shining a light on a workforce gap that affects millions of Americans — and one Jacksonville woman is helping close it, one load of laundry at a time.The Arc Jacksonville is among the organizations leading the charge in creating employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, commonly known as IDDs. One of its businesses, Laundry Caddie, is a pickup-and-delivery laundry service that puts that mission into practice every day.Heather Martin is one of the people making it happen, and Laundry Caddie’s first hired employee.Martin, who has autism, works alongside her colleagues to make sure every customer’s laundry is handled with care — checking pockets, sorting garments and tracking each order using unique customer logos.“Sometimes I write notes for the other Laundry Caddie customers,” she said.For Martin, the work carries real meaning beyond the daily routine.“You get a job and you can support yourself and make sure you got enough