RHA Howell Names Food Lion “Employer Of The Year”
For its willingness to hire and advance people with disabilities
RHA Howell, Inc., a statewide non-profit that has been serving people with disabilities and their families for almost 40 years, recently named the supermarket chain Food Lion “Employer of the Year” during the organization’s annual Awards Banquet.
Food Lion was recognized for its support of people with disabilities by welcoming them into its workforce at numerous locations, and for giving those employees opportunities for advancement.
Tommy Cox, Program Director for the RHA Howell Employment Services division, thanked the supermarket
Food Lion’s Gary Harmon receives the award on behalf of the supermarket chain from RHA Howell’s Tommy Cox.
chain for “continuously encouraging our clients to strive to reach their individual goals and to have a chance to be a part of the communities in which they live.”
Gary Harmon, manager of the Swift Creek Food Lion in Cary, accepted the award on behalf of the supermarket chain.
RHA Howell’s 2014 Awards Banquet took place on May 2 at Garden On Millbrook in Raleigh.
For more information on RHA Howell Employment Services, visit http://rhasenet.org. For more information on RHA Howell, Inc., visit www.rhahowell.org.
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RHA Howell’s Supported Employment Network Charlotte Division Expands
SENET adds four more counties to its partnership mission.
December 6, 2012 (Charlotte, NC) — The RHA Howell Supported Employment Network (SENET) Charlotte Division is announcing its expansion into Lincoln, Cabarrus, Iredell, and Rowan counties. SENET currently serves Mecklenburg and Gaston counties.
SENET’s mission is to build local and regional partnerships within the business community to provide long-term job opportunities for people with disabilities who are eager to join the workforce.
RHA Howell SENET currently partners with Carolina Medical Center, Charlotte Renaissance Suites, JC Penney, Walmart, TJMaxx, The Budd Group, and others in the greater Mecklenburg area.
“It is our goal to offer a win-win solution for area businesses seeking qualified, loyal and enthusiastic employees,” said Pat Konicki, RHA Howell SENET Employment Services Director. “We can provide businesses with qualified, pre-screened employees, on-the-job training resources, no-cost job placement, and valuable information about tax credit advantages.”
On its dedicated website www.Disability.gov., the White House has listed RHA Howell SENET as a primary employment resource in North Carolina for people with disabilities.
RHA Howell is a statewide, non-profit organization that provides a host of services to help people with disabilities and their families make choices to live more independently. For specific information on the SENET division, visit http://rhasenet.org.
About RHA Howell SENET:
RHA Howell’s Supported Employment Network (SENET) opens doors to careers for people with disabilities who want to be in the workplace. We build networks that help people with disabilities find supported, long-term employment through local and regional partnerships and networks within the business community. We provide on-the-job-training (OJT) and support for new hires with disabilities to insure employers’ satisfaction. For more information: rhasenet.org.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
In an effort to promote National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the NC Employment First Steering Committee collected employment success stories from consumers, family members, friends, and providers.
As part of the Employment First Initiative in North Carolina, this campaign seeks to promote the idea that people with disabilities can and do work and employment is possible! This is also an effort to offer hope, promote mentorship, self-advocacy and empowerment to people with disabilities considering employment as an avenue for personal growth. – North Carolina Employment Success Stories
Following are two Success Stories in the document directly connected to RHA Howell.
Ryan, Raleigh
Ryan was devastated when he learned that he could no longer pursue his passion for cooking because of a serious back injury that required multiple surgeries. For 18 years he’d used cooking “to make people happy,” he writes in his “Success Story.” Then, while he was working with his Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor, he heard that RHA Howell needed to hire an employment specialist.
“The position at RHA seemed like a golden opportunity for me to turn my talents in a different direction while still making people happy,” Ryan writes. “I love the job I am doing now. It allows me to work with people and to make a difference in their lives. Being a VR consumer myself, I have a great passion for working with individuals with disabilities.”
Ryan has helped seven people find competitive employment in just four months, and he has developed relationships with area businesses in Wayne, Lenoir, and Wilson counties.
“Thank you, RHA Howell,” he concludes, ”for giving me the opportunity to sow into the lives of so many.”
Rosalind, Charlotte
Secured Employment Network (SENET) client Rosalind needed a job. Donna Fitzgerald, a SENET employment specialist, found the perfect place for her in the organization’s supported employment network: the Dollar Tree.
Since Rosalind started her job as a stocker at the Dollar Tree, she has taken on more tasks, such as maintaining the restrooms, arranging flower and kitchenware displays, and even helping customers find items they’re looking for in the store.
“She is also making new friends and forming strong relationships with her co-workers,” according to the report, especially co-assistant manager Kelly Sherril.
Rosalind also shares her drawings of flowers and birds with the Dollar Tree team. “They are such a valued prize with the managers that they are being framed and displayed.”
RHA Howell and SENET thank store manager Damion Denney and the entire Dollar Tree team for embracing Rosalind and selecting SENET as a source for qualified employees.
To read or download all of the North Carolina Employment First Success Stories, click here.
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