ServiceSource, Inc

Thank you to the Alexandria (Virginia) Patch for spotlighting our BEST (Building Employment Solutions Together) program in this morning’s edition! BEST is a collaborative project of ServiceSource and the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund that supports adults with disabilities in developing job skills and building independence while helping businesses meet pressing needs. BEST operates a gift shop on South Patrick Street in Old Town Alexandria that sells craft items made by people participating in ServiceSource programs, with all proceeds going back to the individual artisans. A new BEST gift shop will open on King Street this fall, in time for holiday shopping. People in the BEST program staff the gift shop, talking with shoppers about the products and ServiceSource programs they participate in. The BEST Team is also available to help employers with a variety of tasks, from light cleaning to gift bag assembly, to help prepare for meaningful jobs in the community. https://lnkd.in/eBiJvKTn

Based in New Castle, Delaware, Opportunity Center, Inc. (OCI), provides an exceptional experience for people with disabilities through innovative and valued employment, training, rehabilitation, and support services. The OCI team is dedicated to creating rewarding employment opportunities and providing customized business solutions to government and commercial customers. Learn about OCI programs, services, and business solutions at www.OpportunityCenter.org.

Say hello to Abilities of Florida! This ServiceSource affiliate offers a variety of rehabilitation and employment services including vocational evaluation and training, benefits planning, housing programs, and opportunities for self-employment. Learn more about Abilities of Florida at www.Abilities.org.

The Employment Source team is ready to serve people with disabilities in Fayetteville and throughout North Carolina. Employment Source provide individuals with disabilities an exceptional service delivery experience through innovative and valued employment, training, rehabilitation, and support services. Learn more about the programs Employment Source offers at www.EmploymentSource.org.

ServiceSource is excited to announce our affiliate branding alignment! Starting today, all of our affiliated organizations will use unique names established in their local communities. Using these names reinforces community ties and better reflects our afiliates commitment to local service. Maintaining their relationships with ServiceSource gives our affiliates the benefits of working with a leading service provider with national experience to support their work building inclusive communities. Two ServiceSource affiliates – PARC in Clearfield, Utah, and WorkSource in Charlottesville, Virginia – are already using this model with great success! This week, we’ll be re-introducing each affiliate that’s adopting a new name. For today, we’re excited to share this news and looking forward to supporting all of our affiliates as they work to serve people with disabilities and enrich their lives.

Are you ready? Tomorrow is the first day of Disability Pride Month! A time to honor the many talents and skills of people living with disabilities and to recognize the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Did you know people with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority group within the population, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds? ServiceSource works every day to build inclusive communities that accept and honor each person’s uniqueness as a natural and wonderful part of human diversity.

The High School High Tech (HSHT) program at ServiceSource Florida is kicking off another summer helping students prepare for careers in the medical field. In 2023, two high school students from Pasco County attended the University of South Florida Nursing Summer Scholars Program through a partnership with ServiceSource Florida. Their introduction to nursing as a profession made quite an impact: Both students graduated high school in May and have applied to nursing school. Over the past four years, HSHT programs have supported more than 100 students with tours of colleges and universities, internships in the nursing/medical field, and sponsoring students studying first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED) to receive their CPR, First Aid, and AED Certification. These opportunities help bring more young adults into the nursing and medical fields and aid communities facing critical shortages of healthcare workers.

Congratulations to the ServiceSource team supporting the Military Personnel Division (MPD) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia for receiving the Meritorious Civilian Service Award (MCSA) from the U.S. Air Force! The MCSA, the fourth highest civilian award granted by the Air Force, recognizes outstanding service in performing duties in an exemplary manner. Employees working on the AbilityOne® Program MPD contract performed exceptionally during the changeover to a new personnel system, aggressively learning it and developing effective implementation procedures that minimized disruptions to their daily customer service responsibilities. In collaboration with military personnel and civilian employees, the team continues to assist units on Fort Eustis with understanding the roles and requirements of the new system. Thank you for your exceptional dedication and hard work! It not only reflects credit on the squadron you support and the Air Force, but also on ServiceSource and people with disabilities.

ServiceSource Delaware employee Dawn Mathu, a case manager at the Riverfront Community Program in Wilmington, recently spoke to participants in the Leadership, Empowerment, Advancement, and Development (LEAD) training program for direct support professionals (DSPs). LEAD is 9-week training series for professional leadership development presented by the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities in partnership with the Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities. Dawn participated in last year’s LEAD training, and organizers of the program were so impressed with her role and participation that they invited her to speak with to new cohort of DSPs. Dawn’s remarks focused on how the program helped her better understand the type of employee she is, as well as ways to become an effective leader. “Supporting people with disabilities and helping them live more fulfilling lives is such a rewarding career,” says Dawn. “It was an honor to share my knowledge and experience with developing leaders in my profession.”

Meet Ralph Alcala, Austin Best, and Jordan Engle, three AbilityOne® Program participating employees working on the ServiceSource dining facilities contract at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Pennsylvania. Ralph, Austin, and Jordan set goals for themselves and met them – all three are all newly licensed drivers! Ralph, who recently moved from living in a group home to a supported apartment, set goals to get his driver’s license and purchase a car. He has met both and now is planning a road trip to visit his brother in Florida. “Having a car gives me the freedom to go where I want, when I want,” he says. After quickly earning his driver’s license, Austin set out to get a motorcycle license, which many people find more difficult to earn. Working hard, Austin not only received his motorcycle license, he also purchased his own bike and now gets himself to and from work. Tired of asking family members for rides, Jordan decided it was time to get his own wheels. After studying diligently, he received his license and soon got a truck of his own. Proud of his accomplishments, Jordan is happy to help others who need a ride. “It’s nice to drive others around now,” he says.