Work First

What Work First does

Work First, Inc. is a private nonprofit social services organization founded in 1974 and headquartered at 309 Wilton Road, Farmington, Maine. The organization serves adults with developmental disabilities in west central Maine through a structured portfolio of programs including Work Support (1:1 job coaching at community workplaces with compensation at or above minimum wage), Community Support (volunteer placements and inclusive social engagement), Community Membership (Direct Support Professional-led inclusion services), Person-Centered Planning (individualized PCP life-goal planning), and Adult Daily Living Skills Training. Workforce is small, with 11-50 employees led by Executive Director Carole Kane, Lead Program Manager Angel Bubier, Program Manager Hillary Baker, Office Financial Manager Leslie Marean, and Thrift Shop Manager Natilee-Marie Poliquin.

The organization operates a dual-entity structure combining service delivery with a social-enterprise retail arm. Two thrift store brands, Touch of Class and Touch of Class Too, collectively operate three storefronts — at 309 Wilton Road and 8 Broadway in Farmington, and 25 Jay Plaza Mall in Jay — open seven days per week from 10am to 5pm, selling donated clothing, shoes, books, and household items. These stores function both as revenue-generating operations and as vocational training environments for program participants.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but appear to combine state HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services) delivery reimbursements with thrift store sales and community donations. The organization is independently governed by a board of directors (next meeting scheduled May 14, 2026) with no parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds identified. Geographic footprint is intentionally regional, restricted to west central Maine, and the organization carries 52 years of operational history as a recognized community institution.

Name

Work First

Legal name

Work First, Inc.

Website

https://workfirstinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Work First, Inc. is a Farmington, Maine-based nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides job coaching, community integration, daily living skills training, and person-centered planning services to adults with developmental disabilities across west central Maine, supplemented by three thrift store retail locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG), Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Developmental disability services
• Supported employment
• Community support programs
• Thrift store retail
• Adult daily living skills

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Work First, Inc. delivers vocational, community inclusion, and adult daily living skills services to adults with developmental disabilities in west central Maine. It provides 1:1 job coaching at community workplaces, Community Support and Community Membership programs, Person-Centered Planning, and also operates Touch of Class and Touch of Class Too thrift stores that function as both retail outlets and vocational training environments.

Product overview

Work First, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing services to adults with developmental disabilities in west central Maine. The organization operates a dual offering structure: retail thrift store operations (Touch of Class and Touch of Class Too) that serve as both community retail outlets and vocational training environments, and social service programs including Community Support, Work Support, Community Membership, and Person-Centered Planning. The retail operations provide work experience and income opportunities while the service programs focus on personal growth, social responsibility, independent living, and vocational development. Services are delivered through community-based job placements, volunteer sites, and individual skill-building programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Work Support Program A service improving individuals' ability to independently maintain productivity and employment through 1:1 job coaching at community workplaces. Focuses on integrated community-based work opportunities in the competitive labor market with compensation at or above minimum wage. Intended for adults with developmental disabilities in west central Maine.
• Community Support Program A service helping individuals with developmental disabilities increase their ability to engage in inclusive social and community relationships, including volunteer placements with local organizations such as Seniors Plus, United Way, and Franklin County Animal Shelter.
• Community Membership Program Direct support provided by Direct Support Professionals ensuring people with disabilities engage in inclusive social and community relationships and maintain skills that support health and wellbeing, with focus on community inclusion and removing barriers to full community membership.
• Person-Centered Planning Individual planning service where each person receiving services has a Person-Centered Plan (PCP) identifying needs, celebrating achievements, and providing a plan of action to assist them in achieving life goals.
• Adult Daily Living Skills Training Training in adult daily living skills focusing on community involvement, self-maintenance, and behavior issues, designed according to individual needs and interests. Provided to adults with developmental disabilities.
• Touch of Class Thrift Shop A thrift store offering quality clothing, shoes, books, and household items. Operates as both a retail outlet and a work training opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities. Located at 309 Wilton Road, Farmington, ME; open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm.
• Touch of Class Too A second thrift store brand with locations in Farmington (8 Broadway) and Jay, Maine (25 Jay Plaza Mall), providing additional retail space and work training opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Seniors PlusminorOthersCommunity organization where Work First individuals volunteer. Part of community integration activities for adults with developmental disabilities.
• United WayminorOthersCommunity organization where Work First individuals volunteer as part of community support and integration activities.
• Franklin County Animal ShelterminorOthersLocal animal shelter where Work First individuals volunteer as part of their community support and integration programs.
• Local Farmington Area BusinessesminorOthersMany local businesses in the Farmington area that employ people with developmental disabilities through Work First's work support program, providing competitive employment opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunrise Opportunities: Maine-based nonprofit providing vocational, residential, and community support services to adults with intellectual disabilities. Direct peer in both geography and service mix, including supported employment and community participation programs.
• Aspire Living & Learning: Multi-state nonprofit operator of community-based day programs, supported employment, and residential services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Closely comparable service model — customized employment, 1:1 coaching, community integration — at slightly larger but still regional scale.
• Living Innovations: New England-based nonprofit providing residential, vocational, and community-based day services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Highly comparable program mix and similar mid-sized regional nonprofit structure.
• RCM Industries: Nonprofit vocational rehabilitation provider offering work-training, supported employment, and community-based day programs for individuals with disabilities. Comparable mission and operating model, particularly around using real work activity as the core training environment.
• Ability Beyond: Nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through vocational programs, supported employment, day services, and residential supports. Comparable customized employment and community-integration model, operating primarily in Connecticut and New York.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc: National nonprofit with a federated chapter structure providing advocacy, employment supports, day programs, and residential services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable in participant population and employment-first programming; chapters like The Arc of Maine operate as direct local competitors in the same state.
• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit that operates vocational training, supported employment, and community-based programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to work. Comparable to Work First in mission and revenue model (earned-income thrift retail cross-subsidizing mission programs), though operating at vastly greater scale.
• Easterseals: Large national nonprofit providing employment, vocational, and community-living services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Directly comparable service mix (job coaching, community integration, day programs), but serves a far broader geographic and demographic footprint.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit providing a broad portfolio of human services including I/DD vocational and community-support programs. Operates at much larger scale and broader service breadth but overlaps with Work First on disability employment and community-integration services.

Regional players

• Pine Tree Society: Maine-based nonprofit providing community supports, vocational, and day services to people with disabilities across the state. Highly comparable in geography (both Maine) and service model (community-based I/DD support), making it one of the closest direct competitors within Work First's home state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/work-first-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Work First