‘Salesman of hope’: How former car salesman became director of Batavia workshop for disabled

Hugo Saltijeral loved his jobs as a salesman of medical supplies and then automobiles, but you could tell he was just as happy setting up canopies in the parking lot of the Valley Sheltered Workshop in Batavia on a muggy Friday afternoon.

It was in preparation for the workshop’s monthly community luncheon in which donors, supporters, volunteers and others come together to acknowledge the importance of a facility that has given those with cognitive disabilities a place to work.

Saltijeral’s role at Valley Sheltered Workshop encompasses far more than putting together canopies. His journey from a salesman in Aurora to eventually becoming executive director at the workshop began years ago when he felt something inside tugging toward a different path. That was his heart talking, telling him he wanted to help others less fortunate.

He figured he would scratch that itch nearly 15 years ago by volunteering at the Hesed House homeless shelter in Aurora for one year. He ended up staying 10 years, with some of those as the shelter’s director.

But along came that heart tug again, telling Saltijeral he was needed somewhere else.

Valley Sheltered Workshop has been a direct beneficiary. After he explained to his priest and wife about his desire to move on, a text soon came from the workshop board asking if he was interested in an executive director role they were creating. Divine intervention, one might say, made his answer of “yes” and eventual hiring seem natural.

Nearly four years later, Saltijeral has kept the workshop at 325 Main St. moving forward for its 60th anniversary in May of 2026, but also is adding his vision for workshop participants to be able to do more in their lives.

“I always thought I would go back to my sales career, but I figured out I was pretty good at helping people get out of homelessness,” Saltijeral said.

“It was not by giving stuff to the homeless people, but by rebuilding them and giving them hope,” Saltijeral said of his Hesed House experience. “It’s been a perfect match for me (in helping others) because in sales you are trying to help others solve their problems, and that translates to those in poverty.

“I have become a salesman of hope,” he added.

That’s been great news for Valley Sheltered Workshop, which came about in 1966 when the Rev. Gilbert Johnstone founded it in order to provide his son “Bobby,” who had cognitive disabilities, a place to be productive. The workshop concept came about decades prior through the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to address the need for wounded World War I veterans to have a place to work. Eventually it began to include those with other disabilities but had the stipulation that they could be paid lower than minimum wage.

Over time, sheltered workshops began counting on community support through volunteers and donations, while seeking a wage for its participants as good or better than minimum wage.

It did not hurt Valley Sheltered Workshop that its first supervisor was Robert Bina Sr., who had just retired from Furnas Electric in Batavia.

Furnas began the model that many other companies would follow through the years — giving the workshop tasks to perform in which the participants would be paid, while freeing up the company’s employees to do other needed tasks.

The 38 current Valley Sheltered Workshop participants, all 22 or older and mostly from the Tri-Cities area, keep busy with job orders from Burgess Norton, Precision Brands, Benjamin Moore, Doctors Data, HomeCourt Realty and Kombrink Realty, among others.

A typical task may call for workshop participants to build the small boxes Burgess Norton needs to send out parts to clients, or to package coils and instruction materials into plastic bags for Precision Brands.

“I like building the boxes (for Burgess Norton) and counting them,” said Chris Porch, who has been working nearly five hours a day at the shop for 44 years. She estimates she puts together more than 50 boxes a day when Burgess has put in an order.

A major lifeline for the workshop’s funding comes from Batavia United Way. The workshop does not get federal or state funding for its operation, relying solely on donations and grants from United Way, the Batavia Rotary and Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, the Dunham Fund and individuals in the community.

“United Way works very closely with Valley Sheltered Workshop,” said Pam Kent, president of Batavia United Way.

Kent said the work of people like Marcie Lucas, who has been on the workshop and United Way boards, made it a priority for United Way “to do whatever we can to help them out” as a key funding source.

“It is amazing how many people have benefited through this,” Kent said. “They do need a bigger space for this great organization, and it is an honor to be able to help them.”

Saltijeral acknowledged the need for more space, specifically classrooms to advance his vision of helping participants learn life skills.

“We are adapting and becoming much more than a sheltered workshop,” Saltijeral said. “Like most Americans, work helps our mental health, but we have to develop other curriculum.

“We don’t look at this as just work; we look at it as a classroom,” he added. “Volunteer teachers come in with continuing education, we go to lunch in the community, we learn money management, and how to navigate the bus system.”

In the future, Saltijeral would like to see two more classrooms for the workshop, either as an addition to the current building or other space in the community. In that way, the workshop participants could become more a part of community life.

“We want to create a scenario where people with disabilities still have employment, but do not get segregated from others when trying to do something else,” he said.

Master Farmer and dad

In seeing that Steve Pitstick of Maple Park earned 2025 Master Farmer recognition from Prairie Farmer magazine, it reminded me that farming today is a far more tech-based occupation than it was just 20 years ago.

A good example is for a farmer to add GPS to his tractors, making them essentially steer on their own through a field, so the farmer doesn’t have to do it the whole time and can keep an eye on field data monitors while in the tractor.

Pitstick said as much in a Kane County Farmer article, noting he was an early adopter of new technology and soil conservation methods. He farms 6,000 acres with his son Dale.

And while he analyzes data to determine field-by-field profits and characteristics of the soil, Pitstick appears inclined to let his son make decisions about the farm — and not look over his shoulder.

In the Farmer article, Pitstick said he knows farmers in their 50s and 60s who still don’t make decisions because their father remains in charge. He wants his son to be able to manage the farm’s business on his own.

Life on the prairie

It’s been well established that if you live in Illinois, you will see many acres of prairie. And many communities celebrate those prairies.

Campton Township is hosting its annual Prairie Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the historic Corron Farm.

Those looking to keep their kids away from electronic devices and expose them to life on the prairie for a few hours would find this free event worthwhile.

Not to mention it’s a lot of fun, with music, wagon rides, a barbecue, kids’ activities, farm tours, a visit from Taylor’s Battery Illinois Light Artillery Co., and corn on the cob, courtesy of the Campton Township Open Space Foundation.

I like mentioning these types of events at Corron Farm because we went there often for holiday picnics and hayrides before and after our son was born. Dave Corron has been a friend of our family for a long time, and he went out of his way to make kids happy for years.

This Prairie Fest falls right in line with that tradition at the farm, located at 7N761 Corron Road.

My favorites ranked high

It was no surprise to read that Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches and grilled hot dogs ranked among the favorite summer foods in the country.

Mixbook, a popular photo book, shared results after polling more than 3,000 “foodies” about their favorite summer fare.

Chicago-style Italian beef ranked 21st in the poll, while the Chicago hot dog was 54th.

The favorite? Maine’s blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream earned the top spot.

Readers of this column know I mention food fairly often, but they should know that deep-down, I am more of a “street” food guy than one who likes fancy dishes.

Years ago, if I were going to a baseball, basketball or hockey game in the city, I often would stop for an Italian beef on Taylor Street beforehand. In warm weather, that meant sitting on the street curb or a nearby bench to chow it down.

That’s a bit of heaven on earth.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net