CLEVELAND — Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a venue for concerts, but it’s much more than just that.

The venue has been placing an emphasis on giving those who have disabilities jobs and opportunities to make a living. 

Jorge Mendez started off as a guest service ambassador at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Now he’s a guest services team leader providing face-to-face customer service to hundreds of fans coming to the Cavs game on Friday.

“I help by giving directions, escorting guests to the box office, if they are season ticket holders or if they just need help finding how to get to their seats, that’s basically my role,” he said.

Mendez came to the United States from Guatemala when he was five years old. He was born with cerebral palsy.

“I weighed about three pounds. I was born at 26 weeks. The doctors didn’t believe that I was even to be alive, let alone talk, eat, everything that a living normal person does,” he said. 

But here he is today, playing a pivotal role by contributing to the overall guest experience at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“Although I’m disabled, my family and my support system has never told me, ‘No you can’t do something,’” he said.

Ron Velazquez, the senior vice president of venue experiences, said they want to see other companies around Ohio do the same thing and give those with disabilities an opportunity to have a job.

“I think everyone should strive to do a better job including us, like even if we think we are doing a great job I guarantee you better it and that’s what we do,” he said. 

As for Mendez, he said he’s hoping to inspire others with disabilities to take the leap of faith and put themselves out there.

“Even if you have limitations, anything is possible as long as you accept yourself and show them that you can be a capable human being just like anybody else,” he said.