WESTVILLE, N.J. — Abilities Solutions, a nonprofit provider of employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to full participation in the workforce, presented Deptford Councilman Wayne Love with an award for Advocacy and Volunteerism on October 24.
“Long time volunteer Wayne Love [is being] recognized for his ongoing advocacy and devoted friendship to Abilities Solutions and the individuals we serve,” the organization stated on their Facebook page.
Freeholder Jim Jefferson, liaison to Human Services, said the services offered by Abilities Solutions helps create a diverse workforce.
“The services that Abilities Solutions offers help us make our workforce more diverse,” Jefferson said in a press release. “Abilities Solutions strives to make transitioning into a job smooth for those it helps, offering supported employment, transitional employment, school to career transition for those in high school, and vocational assessment and skill development.”
According to its website, Abilities Solutions “was founded in 1963 as the Occupational Training Center of Gloucester County by a group of parents who believed their children would benefit by having the ability to work and realized that employers could benefit by having access to a dedicated, supervised workforce regardless of whether someone has a disability or other barrier.”
One example of their work was a small appliance repair service, which served the needs of the community while providing training and employment to individuals. The program currently runs Bagelicious Café and Catering which offers homemade products through their café or catered, which also provides valuable on-the-job experience for persons in their culinary training program.
Freeholder Heather Simmons, Liaison to Economic Development, said the 501(c)(3) organization proves how disabilities do not hinder those resolved to find a good job.
“Abilities Solutions serves about a thousand people with disabilities each year, partnering with a wide variety of employers in South Jersey to identify job opportunities,” Simmons said. “Abilities Solutions benefits both the employee and the employer, showing that disabilities won’t stop those who are determined to join the workforce, and being disabled doesn’t make someone less of a valued employee.”
Another Abilities Solutions program is VetAbility which began in September 2013 through a Gloucester County United Way grant.
VetAbility considers the unique needs of veterans, serves as an advocate for those who are seeking employment, and helps veterans and their families achieve greater self-sufficiency by removing barriers to employment and finding employment opportunities that work for both employer and veterans, according to Abilities Solutions website.
To learn more about Abilities Solutions, visit https://www.abilities4work.com/ or call (856)848-1025.
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