February 2012

Meet NEMROC: A North Central Region NPA Known for its Dedication to Quality

Goodwill Colorado Springs Brings Oustanding Services to USAFA Post Office

HOPE Services Launches HOPE TV in Santa Cruz, Calif.

William Coleman, Jr. Acting Chair

E. Robert ChamberlinPresident and CEO, NISH

NISH Board of DirectorsJim Barone, Immediate Past ChairBrenda Yarnell, SecretaryPaul Atkinson, TreasurerFrederick BeamanStephen BennettJerry Bettenhausen Peter BernsDean EmersonFrederick FreseJim Gibbons David GonzalesMary Ann GreenawaltSteven KingMike KivitzFrank Lopez Amy LuttrellWayne McMillanThomas MillerRhea Nelson Barbara NurenbergSteve PerdueBelinda Porras

Frederick Williams

Editorial CommitteePaul AtkinsonMegan BranchNancyellen GentileGisele McAuliffeJay Thomas Lisa WardTony Young

Executive Editor Lynne Harris lharris@nish.org

Managing Editor Vatrice Jones vjones@nish.org

Contributing Feature Writers Chianti Cleggett Rachel Crowell Sarah Gray Heather Loveridge Gisele McAuliffe

NISH

Workplace

February 2012 | 3

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The Nonprofit Agency Link

The Federal Insight

Meet NEMROC: A North Central Region NPA Known for Its Dedication to QualityBuilding a wooden box would seem like an easy job, not requiring much time or attention to detail. But when it’s a box built especially to hold military smoke grenades, the scenario completely changes. Every single box must be held to the highest standards and be built exactly the same. Even a single nail protrusion could be disastrous.

AbilityOne® Partnerships ‘a Good Fit’ for ACC

Goodwill Colorado Springs Brings Outstanding Services to USAFA Post Office

Public Policy Corner

View from Washington

HOPE Services Launches HOPE TV in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Opportunities Inc. Organizes Events to Acknowledge Positive Growth in Community Workforce

Layton High Students Raise Money and Hopes for People with Disabilities

UCP Land of Lincoln Shifts to Baldrige Model to Improve Performance

Peckham Motivates Employees to Succeed

4 President’s Message14 PL Additions20 AbilityOne® Program Success Story 22 Hats Off

On the cover: NEMROC employees Kenneth Holm (left) and Rodney Beloskur assemble M18/M83 smoke grenade boxes for Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Ark.

Volume 38, No. 2February 2012Workplace is published monthly by NISH, 8401 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, VA 22182. NISH is a nonprofit organization that supports the AbilityOne Program to assist nonprofit agencies in employing people with significant disabilities by obtaining federal contracts. If you would like additional information on any subject in Workplace, contact Lynne Harris at lharris@nish.org. Address corrections or additions should be mailed to the managing editor at the above address; please include the old mailing label. Reproduction of material in Workplace with permission is encouraged.

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21The Workforce Inclusive

President’s Message

E. Robert Chamberlin NISH President and CEO

4 | NISH WORKPLACE

“The difference

between average people

and great people can

be explained in three

words. The words are

‘and then some.’”

— James Byrnes,

Former Secretary

of State

Perseverance… ‘and Then Some’In last month’s President’s Message Tony Poleo, the new Chairperson of the U.S. AbilityOne® Commission said that “I would like to see us continue building, growing and adapting this program to fit contemporary times and circumstances–that means in lean times as well as times of prosperity...”

Lean times is an accurate description of the current environment facing many of our federal customers and our nonprofit agencies (NPAs) as well. Resource reductions and state funding constraints have, in many cases, been dramatic. This situation was a major factor behind the loss of more than 7,000 AbilityOne jobs for people with significant disabilities in 2011. Yet even with those losses, overall NISH-affiliated NPAs experienced a net increase in both AbilityOne jobs and direct labor hours worked in 2011. In fact, both numbers were higher than any jobs or direct labor hours numbers ever achieved.

How could that happen? In one word–perseverance. In particular, persever-ance to pursue new business lines and work with customers needing creative, responsive and best value solutions.

Michelangelo once said, “If people knew how hard I worked at my art they would not consider me a genius.” It took him several years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Most of the time he was lying on his back high in the air on hard boards in suffocating heat, but he persevered to produce that beautiful masterpiece.

That same perseverance by both federal agencies and NPAs is one of the major reasons why, even in the environment we face today, overall jobs for people with significant disabil-ities were up in 2011.

The Mark Center Total Facilities Management (TFM) project is a perfect example of perseverance by

NISH and NPA personnel to pursue an opportunity not initially planned for AbilityOne; perseverance by Alvina Woodson and Dan Whetsell at Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) to use an AbilityOne solution and perseverance by all parties to meet a very tight deadline. The results of their efforts are impressive—200 people with significant disabilities employed, three NPAs working on site, 14 small business subcontracts and 65 veterans including nine wounded warriors currently employed. Since customer satisfaction is always paramount with every project we undertake, WHS’s commitment to AbilityOne was particularly meaning-ful–“I’m willing to go anywhere to promote an AbilityOne solution” was how Alvina Woodson described her personal opinion regarding her satis-faction with AbilityOne and the Mark Center solution.

A former Secretary of State, James Byrnes, once said, “The difference between average people and great people can be explained in three words. The words are ‘and then some.’” She did what was expected, ‘and then some.’ They were good friends ‘and then some.’ They could be counted on in emergencies ‘and then some.’ Dan and Alvina’s persistent efforts on the Mark Center project were practi-cal, outcome-focused and courageous. And like so many other AbilityOne procurement champions, they went beyond expectations ‘and then some’, as did ServiceSource and all the NPAs supporting this project.

Tony Poleo said that “accomplish-ing these (job growth) goals may be more difficult in the current economic environment, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible.” I agree with Tony. I believe persistence ‘and then some’ will be the secret formula for continued job growth for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities as we move forward in 2012, 2013 and beyond. H

NEMROC

Meet NEMROC: A North Central Region NPA Known for its

6 | NISH WORKPLACE

By Heather Loveridge, contributing feature writer

Dedication to Quality

Building a wooden box would seem like an easy job, not requiring much time or attention to detail. But when it’s a box built especially to hold military smoke grenades, the scenario completely changes. Every single box must be held to the highest standards and be built exactly the same. Even a single nail protrusion could be disastrous.

Part of NEMROC’s lumber facility

February 2012 | 7

NEMROC

That’s why North Eastern Michigan Rehabilita-tion Opportunity Center, Inc. (NEMROC) in Alpena, Mich., pays strict attention to quality

control. As an AbilityOne® contractor for Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Ark., NEMROC puts a lot of time and effort into producing quality smoke grenade boxes. For NEMROC, quality has been part of its mission for more than 40 years.

Originally started in 1968 to serve those with significant disabilities in the community, NEMROC’s desire was to provide training and employment for individuals within the facility. In 1971, the organization opened its first sawmill, eventually expanding to include four kilns, a lumber storage facility, grading station and sawdust-burning boiler. This expansion allowed NEMROC to broaden its original vision and include community placement and training for those with significant disabilities within the sawmill, vinyl office chair mat and janitorial businesses.

Today, the nonprofit agency (NPA) employs 150 full and part-time employees and operates a pallet shop, full basswood line and a kiln system for drying various grade lumber and heat-treating products. In 2010, to help them meet their federal customers’ needs, a second lumber drying operation was opened in Hillman, Mich. In addition, NEMROC is one of the

largest suppliers of vinyl office chair mats to the U.S. Government and also provides the local community with various janito-rial and courier services.

As a NISH-affiliated AbilityOne agency, NEMROC currently has two AbilityOne contracts: the grenade boxes and the vinyl chair mats.

“About five years ago we began working on the grenade box contract as the secondary contractor,” said David Szydlowski, CEO and CFO of NEMROC. “One of the first comments the contract-ing officer asked us when we were start-ing production on the grenade boxes was could we produce a quality box? We listened to their concerns and put due diligence into making sure quality expec-tations were exceeded. We involved our employees with significant disabilities in the quality process to make the best box we possibly could, and, even though we’re not ISO 9000, utilized a quality process of continuous improvement.”

NEMROC continued on page 8

Kenneth Holm (left) and Rodney Beloskur assemble the tops and bottoms of the M18/

M83 smoke grenade box for Pine Bluff Arsenal.

James Watson (left) and Ralph

DesOrmeau inspect the quality of cut

stock produced by NEMROC’s sawmill.

8 | NISH WORKPLACE

NEMROC

NISH also played a large part in the contract’s success, providing a zero-interest loan so NEMROC could purchase equipment needed to produce the product.

“This allowed us to employ an additional 8-10 people with significant disabilities on a new product line, meet the government customers’ needs, and at the same time be allowed to pay back the loan over 30 months, which assisted cash flow,” Szydlowski said. “NISH also supported NEMROC with a staff train-ing grant. These funds assisted greatly, offsetting the learning curve costs of the grenade box line supervisor.”

According to Szydlowski, NEMROC developed a system where every load of 2,520 boxes is identical: every nail is in the same location and every cleat is the same. Pine Bluff ’s contracting officers have been very pleased with the quality.

“Pine Bluff ’s quality inspector told me he couldn’t believe how so many people from various depart-ments came together to produce this product. He told his boss that

everyone was involved and that producing a quality product was NEMROC’s main focus. I call that a success of our workforce,” Szydlowski said. “We provide some assistive technology so every nail can be in the same spot but it still has to be deliv-ered by the production worker, so they’re making it happen and ensuring the quality is there.”

As part of its commitment to its employees and helping them succeed, NEMROC also provides education and other services. Recently, it insti-tuted NISH’s Quality Work Environ-ment (QWE) program.

“When the QWE program was first introduced, we noticed it really fell into our philosophies of what we wanted to do. It gives us an opportu-nity to provide continuous education for the whole agency,” Szydlowski said. “We’ve actually appointed a QWE director and have already invested in building a state-of-the art classroom so we can offer quality trainings, safety trainings and other programs for people with signifi-cant disabilities, which will in turn improve outcomes for our customers. We’re also going to offer the class-room for community use.”

“NISH has given us opportunities to expand in areas that we would not have otherwise,” said Szydlowski. “We appreciate the partnership we have with NISH through the AbilityOne Program.” H

NEMROC continued from page 7

Allen Straley feeds the planer with wood used to make the smoke grenade box.

Randy Wirgau (left) tails and inspects work-in-process lumber produced from the molder, while James Lester feeds the molding equipment.

Assembled smoke grenade boxes

The Federal Insight

10 | NISH WORKPLACE

AbilityOne® Partnerships ‘a Good Fit’ for ACCBy David San Miguel, Army Contracting Command, Office of Public and Congressional Affairs

One needs only to read the headlines, listen to the radio or watch the evening news to learn that the unemployment rate is high and thousands of people are without jobs.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor statistics report that the unemployment rate for October stood at nine percent—an estimated 13.9 million Americans without work. According to AbilityOne® Program statistics, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is an “alarmingly high rate of 70 percent.”

Employment opportunities can prove more challenging, notes Deborah A. Ault, chief, contracts division, Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Knox, Ky. In March 2011, she was recognized as an AbilityOne Champion by NISH.

The AbilityOne Program is a federal initiative that works with public and private organizations to gener-ate employment for individuals who are blind or have other disabilities. It employs more than 50,000 individuals who are blind or have other significant disabilities at more than 600 commu-nity-based nonprofit agencies across the country, including wounded veterans.

“It’s a good fit for the Army Contract-ing Command,” Ault said. “Contracts awarded under the program provide good job opportunities for people with disabilities, specifically disabled veter-ans. Once a service or supply is added to the procurement list, a long-term relationship is formed that should continually improve services over time and decrease procurement lead time.”

Carol E. Lowman, ACC executive director, agrees. This September, she was appointed by President Barack

Obama as a member of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission (formerly referred to as the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled).

An avid supporter of the AbilityOne Program, Lowman does what she can to facilitate and encourage AbilityOne contracts. But, she adds, “It’s the contracting officers in the field that do the work to support the program.”

Partnerships between the ACC and the AbilityOne Program have extended to ACC-Rock Island, Rock Island, Ill., where six legally blind individuals have been employed to help close out the more than 120,000 contract files left over from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The workers came from the Chicago Lighthouse

for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired, a 105-year-old social service nonprofit agency located on the city’s west side.

Success stories, like those found at Rock Island, help educate the public about the variety of disabilities and how individuals with these disabilities can still contribute.

“The biggest challenge is with the customer,” Ault explained. “Custom-ers are concerned that people with disabilities cannot perform certain functions or that quality of service will decline. This is typically overcome by educating the customer about the variety of conditions that constitute disability, both cognitive and physical, and sharing contract success stories.”

Lowman noted that initially there may be some resistance. Concerns are often raised on whether individuals with disabilities can accomplish the job.

Lowman recalls an incident when an AbilityOne employee was cleaning her office and whose hours were being reduced as a result of budget cuts.

“I asked him how he felt about his hours being cut,” she said. “He responded by telling me he didn’t mind because he knew that the money he would have made would be going to support the Soldier. He knew that he, too, was serving his country. That’s what this program is all about and I am proud to support it.”

“Support of the AbilityOne Program is the easiest part of my job as a contract-ing officer,” Ault added. “Knowing that as a result of my contracting efforts people with severe disabilities will have job opportunities makes that support easy to give. It’s a win-win program.” H

“Contracts awarded under the program provide good job opportunities for people with disabilities, specifically disabled veterans. Once a service or supply is added to the procurement list, a long-term relationship is formed that should continually improve services over time and decrease procurement lead time.”

— Deborah A. Ault Chief, Contracts Division Mission and Installation Contracting Command

The Federal Insight

February 2012 | 11

In an industry where the motto is, “you are only as good as the work you performed last night,” Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs is a stand-out. For the past 16 years, it has received commendations and endless expressions of thanks from staff and cadets for exceeding expectations in its AbilityOne® janito-rial services contract at the U.S. Air Force Academy Post Office, Colorado Springs.

Goodwill performs janitorial services at the post office as part of more than $9 million of AbilityOne contracts that also encompass the base-wide cleaning of administration offices and dormi-tories, laundry services at more than a dozen government sites across the state and document imaging at Evans Army Community Hospital on Fort Carson. Altogether, some 200 people with significant disabilities are employed via Goodwill’s AbilityOne contracts.

NISH managers characterize Goodwill’s level of professionalism, dedication, responsiveness and focus on customer service as top notch. “Goodwill has built a reputation for exceeding customer expectations and the proof is the ongoing recognition and excellent performance reviews it receives,” said Mary De Prang, NISH South Central Region Project Manager.

In 2011, four AbilityOne janito-rial services employees assigned to the Air Force Academy Post Office received certificates of appreciation from Postmaster Vickie Clute. They included: Terressa Lowrey, janitor; Travis Maes, floor technician; Chun Tafoya, supervisor and Rick Hawk, site manager. “Your performance and work ethic is second to none and

demonstrates your desire to do your job well,” Clute wrote. “This post office is fortunate to be maintained by such an organization with employees of your caliber.”

According to Goodwill Assistant Director of Custodial Services, Vera Glass, the core of her team’s success is communications. “Great commu-nications means really knowing your customers; knowing all the building managers by first name and getting to know all the people you work around in the building,” Glass said.

It is apparent the attention Goodwill pays to its employees is another component of the organization’s achievements. “The four Goodwill employees who work at the post office show incredible persever-ance in overcoming their barriers to employment every day,” Glass noted. “They are dedicated to doing a great job and making the customer happy.” In reaction to the certificates of appreciation her crew recently received, Glass added, “It’s an honor to celebrate the dedicated individu-als employed through our NISH contracts. We have a great staff of people working for us.”

Clute, who has served as postmas-ter at the Academy since 2004, describes Goodwill janitorial services employees in glowing terms. “Their performance and willingness to always do their work as well as they possibly can have distinguished them in my eyes,” Clute said. “Their work ethic is of the highest standard and they demonstrate that each and every day by responding immediately to any unexpected request for help. I believe employees such as the four I have recognized built Goodwill’s outstanding reputation. On behalf of all the employees at the Academy, we truly express our thanks.” H

Goodwill Colorado Springs Brings Outstanding Services to USAFA Post OfficeBy Gisele McAuliffe, contributing feature writer

Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs AbilityOne janitorial services employees join with Air Force Academy post office staff in proudly displaying recently awarded certificates of appreciation. Back row (left to right): Rick Hawk, Goodwill of Colorado Springs janitorial services Base Site Manager; Vickie Clute, Postmaster; James Jarman, Supervisor of Customer Services at the Post Office. Front row (left to right): Chun Tafoya, Goodwill of Colorado Springs Base Supervisor of janitorial services; Terressa Lowrey, Goodwill Base Janitor and Travis Maes, Goodwill Base Floor Tech.

Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs and AbilityOne janitorial services employees Terressa Lowrey and Travis Maes make sure the U.S. Air Force Academy Post Office truly shines.

12 | NISH WORKPLACE

By Tony Young, senior public policy strategist, and Danea M. Kehoe, Esq.

The Federal Insight

PUBLIC POLICYCORNER

On Nov. 15, 2011, bipartisan legis-lation was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to help people with disabilities and their families save, on a tax-free basis, to meet the unique financial needs facing people with disabilities. The legisla-tion, H.R.3423 and S.1872, would create tax-free savings accounts similar in structure to tax-favored educational savings (Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 529) plans.

The Achieving a Better Life Experi-ence (ABLE) Act would amend IRC section 529, to add tax-free savings accounts to be used for the care, education and development of family members with disabilities. H.R.3423 was introduced by Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). A biparti-san bill, it has 74 cosponsors. Also bipartisan is the Senate companion legislation, S.1872, which was intro-duced by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA), with eight cosponsors.

“Our tax code currently provides advantages to help Americans save for college and retirement,” said the House bill’s author, Rep. Crenshaw, “yet people with disabilities do not enjoy those same financial planning tools.” He described his legisla-tion as a set of rules that would allow families to set aside funds for family members with disabilities to enhance their independence. He said it would allow parents to save money for their children’s

future without jeopardizing access to federal program benefits. ABLE account funds could be used to pay for education, housing, employment services, health and wellness, trans-portation, and other miscellaneous qualified expenses.

“The ABLE Act is about giving people with intellectual and devel-opmental disabilities the opportu-nity to achieve their dreams…this bill creates a tool for families that could lead to a more independent and fulfilling life,” said The Arc’s chief executive officer, Peter V. Berns. The community of advocates for people with disabilities supports the ABLE Act.

The legislation provides that ABLE accounts “shall be treated in the same manner as a qualified tuition program.” Thus, as with Section 529 education plans, contributions are not tax-deductible, but earnings on the contributions would accumulate federal income tax free. State tax rules would not be affected by the federal legislation. Accordingly, in some states the rules would follow the federal rules, while in others different state tax rules would apply.

Under current law, contributions to Section 529 education plans are limited to “the amount neces-sary to provide for the qualified education expenses of the benefi-ciary.” The limits do not apply to individual contributors, but to the total amount in the account that is

benefitting the student. The ABLE Act statutory language does not contain specific limits on contri-butions, but does state an ABLE account will be treated as a Section 529 account. Thus, there is some question about a limit that would be based on an “amount necessary to provide” for qualified disability expenses. If enacted without clarifi-cation on this question, implement-ing regulations would address this uncertainty.

S.1872/H.R.3423 would allow state agencies to establish and maintain “ABLE programs, under which a person could make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses.” The legislation also establishes that amounts in ABLE accounts will be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. But, the bills also provide that payment of supplemental security income benefits (Supplemental Social Security) would be suspended during any period in which a Supplemental Social Security beneficiary has “excess resources” attributable to an ABLE account.

“Qualified disability expenses” are defined in the bill to include expenses for education, a primary residence, transportation, obtain-ing and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Bill

By Tony Young, senior public policy strategist

ABLE Act Would Provide Tax-Favored Savings Accounts to Help People with Disabilities “Plan for Brighter Future”

Public Policy Corner continued on page 15

February 2012 | 13

View from

The Federal Insight

FY 2012 Funding Shrinks Support for People with Disabilities In two bills—a “minibus” and a “megabus”—enacted in mid-Novem-ber and late-December, 2011, Congress agreed to and President Obama signed into law legislation that completes funding of the federal government for fiscal year (FY) 2012. Taken together, the two appropriations laws provide $1.043 trillion in discretionary spend-ing authority for the current fiscal year (through Sept. 30, 2012).

That funding level is within the Budget Control Act (BCA) caps agreed to as part of the debt ceiling struggle that preoccupied Congress last summer. Overall, FY 2012 funding is $7 billion lower than in FY 2011, and $98 billion less than the President had requested in his FY 2012 budget proposal. This means some significant belt-tightening for the agencies that administer many programs that assist people with significant disabilities.

Most of the funding for important health and assistive services programs was included in the second package of appropriations bills—the “megabus” passed by Congress on December 17, 2011. The “megabus” (the term comes from dividing an “omnibus” appropria-tions bill into the three-bill “minibus” and the nine-bill “megabus”) is a $915 billion package that combines nine appropriations bills, including those that fund the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Veter-ans Affairs (VA).

The funding includes: � $69.7 billion—almost $700 million

less than last year and $3.4 billion less than the President requested—for HHS

� $10.7 billion for the Employment Training Administration ($68 million less than last year), including $2.6 billion ($179.8 million below last year’s funding level) for Workforce Investment Act Grants

� $265 million for Veterans Employment and Training Services—the FY 2012 funding level is $9.3 million above last year’s funding, and $4 million more than the President requested

� The Health Resources and Services Administration received $6.5 billion, a cut of $41 million from last year, and $848 million less than the President asked for. This line item includes $1.6 billion for Community Health Centers (CHC), an amount equal to last year’s CHC funding level.

� The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is operating on a FY 2012 funding level of $6.1 billion—an increase of $38 million over last year’s funding level, but a $269 million decrease from the level proposed by President Obama.

� The National Institutes of Health (NIH) received a modest increase in funding for FY 2012. Its current funding level is $30.7 billion--$299 million more than last year, but $758 million below the level requested by the President.

� $3.5 billion for SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration)—$27 million less than last year, and $73 million less than the amount recommended by President Obama. This includes $461 million (up by $41 million over last year) for Mental Health Block Grant programs.

� The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) received

$3.9 billion for CMS Program Management—a $241 million increase over FY 2011 funding.

� $3.5 billion for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program block grant—a cut of $1.2 billion from last year

� $714 million for the Community Services Block Grant program

� $11.6 billion for special education programs—an increase of $100 million over last year’s funding level—to help school districts pay the extra costs of educating all children with disabilities

� $58 billion (an increase of $2.1 billion) for the VA’s discretionary funding. There is also $52.5 billion in advance funding for the VA’s medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities.

The first of the FY 2012 appropriations bills, the “minibus,” was enacted in mid-November. It included the Trans-portation/Housing and Urban Devel-opment appropriations bill, along with Agriculture and Commerce/Justice/Science.

This appropriation was approved at $55.6 billion, some $19.4 billion below President Obama’s budget request, but $183 million above last year’s funding level. Transportation programs aimed at assisting people with disabilities will be funded from this pot of money.

Specific highlights of the omnibus include:

� Housing programs received a total of $37.3 billion, $3.8 billion below last year’s funding level and $4.7 billion below the amount requested by President Obama. These funding levels include $17.2

By Tony Young, senior public policy strategist, NISH; and Danea M. Kehoe, Esq.

View from Washington continued on page 15

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Procurement List Additions

Nonrechargeable BatteryNSN: 6135-01-446-8310--Alkaline, D, 1.5VNSN: 6135-01-486-1443--Alkaline, 6VNSN: 6135-01-275-1363--Alkaline, 6VNSN: 6135-00-904-6780--Button, Silver Oxide, 1.55VNSN: 6135-00-993-6823--Button, Silver Oxide, 1.55VNSN: 6135-01-538-0997--Button, Lithium, 3VNSN: 6135-01-452-8160--Button, Lithium, 3VNSN: 6135-01-301-8776--Lithium, AA, 3.6VNSN: 6135-01-246-0307--Button, Silver Oxide, 1.55VNSN: 6135-01-246-0308--Button, Silver Oxide, 1.55VNSN: 6135-01-219-8612--Button, Zinc-Air.1.4VNSN: 6135-01-096-0330--Button, Silver Oxide, 1.55VDefense Logistics Agency Land and MaritimeColumbus, OHContract Specialist: Rebecca MickelsonColumbus, OH(866) 954-5939Nonprofit Agency: Eastern Carolina Vocational Center, Inc.Greenville, NC

Document DestructionNonprofit Agency: NISH (Prime Contractor) Internal Revenue Services (Offices located at the following addresses) Contracting Activity: Department of the Treasury/Internal Revenue Service Washington, DC

2403 Folsom Street, Eau Claire, WI 425 State Street, La Crosse, WI Nonprofit Agency: AccessAbility, Inc. (Subcontractor):Minneapolis, MN

Fletc - Building 67 Glynco, GA 1131 Chapel Crossing Road - Bldg 67, Brunswick, GA Nonprofit Agency: Austin Task, Inc. (Subcontractor) Austin, TX53 North Sixth Street, New Bedford, MA 75 Perseverance Way, Hyannis, MA

One Montvale Avenue, Stoneham, MA Nonprofit Agency: CranstonArc (Subcontractor) Cranston, RI

1550 Main Street, Springfield, MA Nonprofit Agency: Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut, Inc. (Subcontractor) Windsor, CT

4309 Jacksboro Highway, Wichita Falls, TX Third & Pine Streets, Abilene, TX

8404 Esters Blvd, Irving, TXNonprofit Agency: Expanco, Inc. (Subcontractor) Fort Worth, TX

14479 S. John Humphrey Drive; Orland Park, IL Nonprofit Agency: Glenkirk (Subcontractor) Northbrook, IL

2426 Lee Highway-Preston Square, Bristol, VA Nonprofit Agency: Goodwill Industries--Knoxville, Inc. (Subcontractor) Knoxville, TN

10208 Park Plaza - Suite C, Rothschild, WI Nonprofit Agency: Goodwill Industries of South-eastern Wisconsin, Inc. (Subcontractor) Milwaukee, WI

1810 Hale Avenue, Harlingen, TX Nonprofit Agency: Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Inc. (Subcontractor) Corpus Christi, TX

1099 Alakea Street, Honolulu, HI Nonprofit Agency: Goodwill Contract Services of Hawaii, Inc. (Subcontractor) Honolulu, HI

210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA

4300 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, IA

425 Second Street, S.E., Cedar Rapids, IA Nonprofit Agency: Harrison County Sheltered Work-shop Association (Subcontractor) Bethany, MO

7657 Levin Road, Suite L-20, Silverdale, WA Nonprofit Agency: Northwest Center (Subcontractor) Seattle, WA

1004 North Big Spring, Midland, TX Nonprofit Agency: ReadyOne Industries, Inc. (Subcontractor) El Paso, TX

100 Dey Place, Edison, NJ

165 Passaic Avenue, Fairfield, NJ

4 Paragon Way, Suite 2, Freehold, NJ

111 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ

30 Montgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ

200 Sheffield Street, Mountainside, NJ

20 Washington Place, Newark, NJ

1 Newark Center, Newark, NJ

1 Kalisa Way, Paramus, NJ

1719 C Route 10, Parsippany, NJ

200 Federal Plaza, Paterson, NJ

955 Springfield Avenue, Springfield, NJ

107 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY

1180 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY

50 Clinton Street, Hempstead, NY

290 BWY-- Foley Square, New York, NY

2283 Third Avenue, New York, NY

33 Maiden Lane, New York, NY

1200 Waters Place, Bronx, NY

1 Lefrak City Plaza, Queens, NY

445 Forrest Avenue, Richmond, NY

10 Richmond Terrace, Richmond, NY

10 Metrotech Center, Kings, NY

518A East Main Street, Riverhead, NY

240 W Nyack Road/250, West Nyack, NY

1600 Stewart Avenue, Westbury, NY

210 East Post Road, White Plains, NY Nonprofit Agency: NYSARC, Inc. (Subcontractor) NYC Chapter, New York, NY

300 Pearl Street, Buffalo, NY

130 South Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY

Appletree Business Park, Cheektowaga, NY

201 Como Park Blvd., Cheektowaga, NY

E 3RD & Pendergast, Jamestown, NY

250 Corporate Place 255 East Avenue Rochester, NY

100 South Clinton Street, Syracuse, NY

615 Erie Blvd. West, Syracuse, NY

10 Broad Street, Rm 130, Utica, NY

1314 Griswald Plaza, Erie, PA

7th & State Street, Erie, PA Nonprofit Agency: Lifetime Assistance, Inc. (Subcontractor) Rochester, NY

57 Haddonfield Road, Cherry Hill, NJ

5218 Atlantic Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ

44 South Clinton Avenue, 3rd Floor, Trenton, NJ

3 W. Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA

200 Lakeside Drive, Suite 220, Horsham, PA

601 S. Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA

1720 Hempstead Rd - Bldg 144, Lancaster, PA

1400 North Providence Rd, Media, PA

600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA

701 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

1601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

11620 Caroline Road, Philadelphia, PA

9815 B Roosevelt Blvd., Philadelphia, PA

201 Penn Street, Reading, PA

2801 Eastern Blvd, York, PA

2970 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA Nonprofit Agency: Opportunity Center, Incorporated (Subcontractor) Wilmington, DE

1250 Edwin Miller Blvd., Martinsburg, WV

150 Court Street, Charleston, WV

420 Riffe Street, Sophia, WV

1206 Quarrier Street, Charleston, WV

845 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV

55 Meridian Parkway, Martinsburg, WV

1021 National Road, Wheeling, WV Nonprofit Agency: PACE Enterprises of West Vir-ginia, Inc. (Subcontractor) Star City, WV

210 1st Street, SW, Roanoke, VA

1600 N. Coalter Street, Staunton, VA Nonprofit Agency: Southside Training Employment Placement Services, Inc. (Subcontractor) Farmville, VA

Products

Services

PL Additions continued on page 15

The Federal Insight

Fort McClellan Veterans Cemetery Prisoner of War Cemetery Anniston, AL

Department of the Army W0LX Anniston Depot Prop Division Anniston, AL Nonprofit Agency: The Opportunity Center Easter Seal FacilityThe Alabama Easter Seal Society, Inc. Anniston, AL

Rubbish Removal and Recycling Service

Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue ServiceChicago, IL

Internal Revenue Services (Offices located at the following addresses)

Submission Processing Center & Tax Break Caf[eacute] 3651 S. IH-35 Austin, TXConnection Warehouse 2021 East Woodward Austin, TX

Southpark G (CSB) 1821 Directors Blvd Austin, TX

Southpark J 2191 Woodward Austin, TX

Southpark K 4175 Freidrich Lane Austin, TX

South Tech. - Bldg. 4

2101 East Saint Elmo Road Austin, TX

Child Development Center 3651 South IH-35 Austin, TX

JJ Pickle Federal Building 300 E. 8th Street Austin, TX

Research Park 2301 Research Blvd. – Bldg. 4 Austin, TX

Rundberg Building 825 E. Rundberg Lane Austin, TX

Southpark Office Center (SPOC) 5015 S. IH-35 Austin, TX Contracting Officer: Stephanie Chu Oakland, CA (510) 637-2139 Nonprofit Agency: Austin Task, Inc. Austin, TX

Grounds MaintenanceWilliam Jefferson Clinton BirthplaceHome National Historic Site (NHS)117 S. Hervey StreetHope, ARDepartment of the Interior - National Park ServiceMidwest RegionOmaha, NEContracting Officer: Neal HauseSt. Louis, MO(314) 655-1609Nonprofit Agency: Rainbow of Challenges, Inc.Hope, AR

billion for Section 8 tenant-based voucher renewals. Section 8 is a program that provides significant assistance to people with disabilities.

� Funding authority of $6.6 billion for Community Planning and Development programs, a decrease of $830 million below last year’s funding level and $1.6 billion less than the President requested.

� Mandatory food and nutrition programs, including SNAP (food stamps), are funded at $98.6 billion, $2 billion less than the President had requested in his FY 2012 budget proposal

� Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program, which provides supplemental foods as well as nutritional and preventive health

services to low income participants (which include many people with disabilities), is funded at $6.6 billion.

� Federal spending in general is at the center of the ongoing political struggle—both in Congress and among voters—about the role of government and thus its consequent size and cost. Programs to assist people with disabilities span a broad spectrum of health, employment, housing and transportation needs. While the debate over the appropriate scope of these and all federal programs, and their funding, has concluded for FY 2012, it will continue—at ever-more increasing intensity, in the debate this year for funding the government in FY 2013 (that starts on October 2, 2012) and into the future. H

sponsors illustrated their intentions with respect to expenses that could be covered with ABLE account funds as follows:

� Education: ABLE account funds could be used to pay tuition for preschool through post-secondary education, and for books, tutors and educational supplies.

� Housing: ABLE account funds could be used for rent, mortgage payments, home improvements, property taxes and utility charges.

� Transportation: Expenses that could be paid from ABLE accounts would include mass transit, moving expenses, and/or the purchase of vehicles.

� Employment: Job-related training and personal assistance supports could be paid for with ABLE account funds.

� Health and Wellness: ABLE account funds could be used to pay the premiums for health, medical and dental insurance; and for nutritional support and mental health expenses.

� Miscellaneous: Permissible miscellaneous expenses that could be paid with ABLE account funds include expenses associated with financial management, administrative services, funeral expenses, and legal fees.

“No longer would individuals with disabilities have to stand aside and watch others use IRS-sanctioned tools to lay the groundwork for a brighter future,” Rep. Crenshaw said. They would be able to as well, and that’s an accomplishment we all can be proud of,” he concluded. The ABLE Act will likely be debated in the context of fundamental tax reform; an initiative Congress is likely to begin action on in 2012. H

Public Policy Corner continued from page 12 View from Washington continued from page 13

PL Additions continued from page 14

February 2012 | 15

The Nonprofit Agency Link

16 | NISH WORKPLACE

In 2009, HOPE Services launched an innovative new day program, Community Membership and Media (CMMP). It’s unique designed allowed for flexible days and times and a staff to employee ratio of 1:3. The program also exemplified HOPE’s philoso-phy of “Community Membership.” Community membership is integra-tion with the non-disabled population in all aspects of life so that people with developmental disabilities can partici-pate fully as active and productive citizens of their community.

More than 25 employees participate daily in the program and partake in various community activities. Many volunteer their time at the Santa Cruz County Animal Service where they love to work with dogs. They take them for walks and often spend countless hours just playing with them. For others, they love to spend time at Trescany Gardens in Santa Cruz. This community garden allows for participants to learn about gardening as well as the benefits of good nutrition. Participants not only volunteer their time but they also have opportunities for paid employ-ment. In partnership with Save the Whales and the county of Santa Cruz, a group of participants apply Flow to Bay decals on storms drains. This

is a great opportunity for job train-ing and, as a result of the program’s efforts, more than 300 decals have been applied throughout the county. The CMMP has also maintained its on-site contract work. For almost every week over the last two years, Fox Racing Shox has provided steady work for many participants.

By far one of the most popular components of the program has been the creation of HOPE TV. It aims to serve the community of people with disabilities and their families, as well as educate the broader community about the issues persons with disabili-

ties face and the contributions they make. More than 20 participants have learned how to operate studio cameras, lights, control board, and teleprompter. Others have also learned how to work in the control room and manage the floor. Having the opportunity to appear on camera has vastly aided in developing valuable communication skills.

The first episode of HOPE TV aired on April 28, 2011. It featured segments on Save the Whales, Toys for Tots®, Animal Services and a vampire movie all made by CMMP participants. Their hard work on the episode was recently recognized with a WAVE award, the Western Access Video Excellence.

“I’ve seen the faces of CMMP partici-pants light up when someone tells them, ‘I saw you on TV. You were great!’ They walk away from that feeling more connected to their community. The empowerment they gain from being involved with the Community Membership and Media Program will stay with them for a lifetime,” said Mike Nichols, assistant manager, CMMP. To learn more about the Community Membership and Media Program or to see an episode of HOPE TV, please visit www.hopeservices.org. H

HOPE Services Launches HOPE TV in Santa Cruz, Calif.

More than 20 HOPE TV participants have learned how to operate studio cameras, lights, control board, and teleprompter.

The Nonprofit Agency Link

February 2012 | 17

Opportunities, Inc., just celebrated its 45th anniversary and showcased the completion of its $6 million dollar agency reinvestment; ensur-ing the continued advancement of community and commercial services that provide training, employment and empowerment for individu-als with disabilities and other life barriers throughout Southern Wisconsin. Two very special events were organized to acknowledge the positive growth in the commu-nity’s workforce due to Opportuni-ties, Inc.’s innovative programs and business building initiatives.

On the evening of July 28, 2011, the agency hosted nearly 400 guests for a formal fundraiser in support of the Building Advancement Appeal, which collected donations for the agency’s renovation project. It included delec-table refreshments served by Best Events Catering, outstanding musical entertainment by The Main Street Big Band, and an opportunity to experi-ence the sights and sounds of the agency’s mission, as the backdrop of the event was the newly built 80,000 square-foot training and production facility located at 100 East Cramer Street in Fort Atkinson.

Opportunities, Inc. was honored to have Governor Scott Walker deliver the event’s key note address and Tom Pipines, Sports Director for FOX6 News, as the Master of Ceremonies. The highlight of the evening was Governor Walker’s presentation of formal Citations for the families and corporate partners that have exemplified the mission of Oppor-tunities, Inc. and its core values of Commitment, Choice, Collabora-tion and Community. Recognition was shared with the Loeb Family, the Foelker Family, Nestle’ Purina Pet

Care and the City of Fort Atkinson for their unyielding support of the agency and persons with disabilities and other life barriers. The evening concluded with a wonderful auction, dancing and desserts.

The following day, Opportuni-ties, Inc. invited its consumers to a formal luncheon also at the newly constructed training facility, where over 250 guests enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner, a DJ for dancing and a special appearance by Brad Beach, of the Milwaukee Wave professional soccer team. Opportunities, Inc. president Barb LeDuc and Chair-man of the Board, Vince Guerrero shared heartfelt words in recogni-tion for all in attendance, impress-ing upon the consumers how their

dedication and commitment to reaching their vocational goals continues to be an inspiration to all! Staff members joined in the celebra-tion, as well, to ensure everyone had a wonderful time.

Opportunities, Inc. received strong support for these important milestones from Maas Brothers Construction, Prairie Lights Architecture, LaVigne’s Transportation, Loeb-Lorman Iron and Metals, Inc., STC Warehouse, Hi-Way Harry’s, WP Beverages, and MillerCoors, in addition to an infinite number of community supporters. What a perfect time for these events to unite the community in celebration for the special citizens that have been empowered by Opportunities, Inc.’s mission for 45 years! H

Opportunities, Inc. Organizes Events to Acknowledge Positive Growth in Community Workforce

From Opportunities, Inc.: Ken Maciejewski Jr., production sales coordinator; Jason Frey, executive vice president; Traci Logothetis, government contracting CSR and Barbara LeDuc, CEO & President. From NISH North Central Office: Chris Stream, executive director; Carla Gocool, senior project analyst; Fred Aske, director, Contract Management; Darcy Hedrich, senior administrative assistant and Ron Misiora, project manager joined Wisconsin-based vocational rehabilitation organization, Opportunities, Inc. in celebrating 45 years of success through service. The agency hosted a formal evening celebration in their newly built 80,000 square foot training facility in Fort Atkinson with more than 400 guests in attendance.

The Nonprofit Agency Link

18 | NISH WORKPLACE

“The students were motivated to help

and began a fundraising campaign.

They did a multitude of activities from

collecting change from cars, selling

wristbands, auctioning off dates and

SBO officers even did things like dyeing

their hair if they met a fundraising

challenge.”

Layton High students raised $10,700 in less than a month for Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center (PARC), located in Clearfield, Utah, to help people with disabilities in the local community find and maintain employment. Christi Techmeyer, Layton SBO Advisor, brought the school’s SBO Officers to PARC for a tour. Tour participants learned that workers with disabilities have been laid off at a faster rate than workers without disabilities during the recession. Funding has declined for programs like PARC, which has only exasperated the problem. The students were motivated to help and began a fundraising campaign. They did a multitude of activities from collecting change from cars, selling wristbands, auctioning off dates and SBO officers even did things like dyeing their hair if they met a fundraising challenge. One day in 7th period, they announced over the intercom that the class that brought down the most money in the next five

minutes could have the hot pizzas that are sitting in the front office. Total donations averaged $11 per student.

Money will go to the recently created PARC Community Partnership Foundation (PCPF). It will fund scholarships, buy equipment, and provide job supports for individu-als with disabilities as needed. The Foundation began 18 months ago to support PARC’s mission to “Foster Independence for people with disabilities through employ-ment and training.” Board members have been going to the high schools throughout Davis County to explain the need and encourage high school students to do fundraisers. This is the first check to come in from all their efforts and spirits and hopes couldn’t be higher. John Pitt, Board President and Economic Development Execu-tive at LSI, stated, “The Foundation is tremendously grateful to the students at Layton High School. Their gener-osity shows their desire to partner

with the community to make sure all students have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We are pleased to be partners with them. We’re hoping that their example will ignite a similar sense of community with all the schools in the district.”

PARC is a nonprofit established in 1972, that is administered by the Davis School District. PARC (www.parc-ut.org) serves over 600 people with disabilities in Davis, Weber, Salt Lake, and Tooele counties. PARC’s mission is: Fostering independence for people with disabili-ties through employment and training. Programs are supported by a combina-tion of state and federal dollars through a fee for service and PARC’s own government and commercial contracts. PARC participants are served based on their personal needs and employment decisions. Individual strategies vary from initial supports to identify and locate employment to continued coaching to maintain employment and eliminate employment barriers. H

Layton High Students Raise Money and Hopes for People with Disabilities

Lisa Clark, former Layton High student, has had difficulty obtaining state funding for employment services. She is an example of who the money will serve.

The Nonprofit Agency Link

February 2012 | 19

Nearly a decade ago, United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln (UCPLL) recognized that it was essential to shift its management philosophy from nonprofit strategies to business strategies if it were to sustain organi-zational growth.

Reflecting on this philosophi-cal shift, UCPLL Chief Operat-ing Officer Kathy Leuelling said, “Management by what you know rather than what you think is a big cultural change for many nonprofit organizations. Yet, in today’s economy, competition among nonprofits has intensified as a result of less money to go around and more people in need of services. To thrive in this environment, we recognized we needed to apply proven business principles.”

Headquartered in Springfield, Ill., UCPLL’s programs have been accred-ited since 1995. The organization sought a complementary framework aligned with the CARF standards to help guide the business practices. After investigating several tools, UCPLL selected the Baldrige Perfor-mance Excellence Program because the Baldrige criteria provides a model that:

� Establishes systematic processes to accomplish the work of the organization.

� Collects pertinent information and data about the effectiveness of these processes.

� Uses the information gathered to drive positive changes.

� All of these criteria were compatible with and carried out the intent of the CARF standards. UCPLL now uses community focus groups and employee teams to apply Baldrige criteria in tandem with the CARF standards. The groups and teams complete self-assessments,

develop and implement process improvement plans, collect data, and analyze results.

Recently implemented process improvements at UCPLL include:

� A strategic framework that focuses on social impact with objectives, goals, and action plans based on challenges, advantages, and changing customer requirements.

� Employee Passports with individual goals linked to departmental and organizational strategic objectives. Passports are carried by staff members while at work as a reminder of UCPLL’s mission, vision, and values.

� Lean Principles to map work processes, determine customer value, eliminate waste, and capture workforce knowledge.

� An extensive data collection system for outcomes as well as in-process measures that are tracked monthly on departmental and organizational scorecards. Regular review of these data enables directors to address underperformance in real time.

The investment in these efforts has paid off for UCPLL with big dividends:

� Individuals achieving their personal outcomes increased from 75 percent in 2007 to 92 percent in 2011.

� Non-state revenue increased from 11 percent in 2005 to 24 percent in 2011.

� Customers rating UCPLL as their provider of choice increased from 76 percent to 95 percent.

� Employee turnover decreased by 43 percent since 2007.

In recognition of UCPLL’s perfor-mance improvement, the Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excel-lence (the Baldrige program in Illinois) recognized UCPLL with the Bronze Award for Commitment to Excellence

in both 2008 and 2010.

The most recent CARF survey report said UCPLL’s participation in the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program demonstrates “the organi-zation’s exemplary commitment to performance measurement and management and connecting the work done by staff each day to the mission and vision of the organization.”

The United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln’s website is at www.ucpll.org. For more information about the organization’s experience apply-ing Baldrige criteria with the CARF standards, write Kathy Leuelling, COO, kleuelling@hotmail.com. H

UCP Land of Lincoln Shifts to Baldrige Model to Improve Performance

The Workplace Inclusive

20 | NISH WORKPLACE

“Denise and her

can-do attitude has

always approached her

challenges, whether

in work or in her life,

with a positive attitude.

She is dependable,

flexible and willing to

learn all aspects of our

department.”

—Cammie Duncan Production Supervisor Crossroads

There are those who simply defy the odds and those who totally beat the odds. Denise Coleman beat the odds. Born with disproportionate dwarfism and two collapsed lungs, Coleman spent nearly two years in the hospi-tal. Her parents turned her over to foster care and her doctors wanted to institutionalize her. But a hospital volunteer, Mrs. John Eady, came to her rescue and became her foster mom. Coleman thrived in her new environment and started on the path to success. She even proved doctors wrong, who said she’d never reach 3 feet, and grew to 3’7”.

Coleman’s positive attitude has served her well over the years. In 2009, she began working for Cross-roads Industrial Services, a division of Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana assembling and packaging combat identification panels. The adaptive technology department worked closely with Coleman and her supervisor Cammie Duncan to provide tools, like an elevated work table and special step stool, to help her successfully perform her tasks.

“Denise and her can-do attitude has always approached her challenges, whether in work or in her life, with a positive attitude. She is dependable, flexible and willing to learn all aspects of our department,” said Duncan, Crossroads production supervisor. “She prides herself on providing a quality life-saving device used by our soldiers. She truly is an amazing person and a pleasure to supervise.”

Coleman is proud of her job and successes, as she should be. According to Duncan, Coleman is always helping her teammates and is the first person to volunteer when there is a need. She’s never missed a day of work and is extremely dependable. Her willing-

ness to serve is evident in her desire to help train her teammates and be an encouragement to those around her. Her co-workers love her.

“Can’t is never an option for Denise. She is a true inspiration to everyone at Crossroads Industrial Services,” Duncan said.

For Coleman, the AbilityOne Program has provided her with not only a job but other benefits as well.

“I like it because I work with my abili-ties and don’t focus on my disabili-ties,” Coleman said. ”The job also provides me income which helps me remain independent.

“Being able to work on the AbilityOne contract makes me feel like a winner. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work in a safe environment.”

Not content with just succeeding at work, Coleman is also active in her personal life. She volunteers for Teachers Treasures, an organization that provides free school supplies to teachers to pass on to disadvantaged students. Coleman processes the teach-ers’ requests and verifies the orders. For Coleman, a great believer in giving back to her community, it’s just one way she can serve others.

“Denise’s daily excitement, can-do attitude and her positive attitude is infectious,” Duncan said. “It’s an honor to work with her.” H

AbilityOne® Program Success Story

Coleman Finds Success Despite the OddsBy Heather Loveridge, contributing feature writer

The Workforce Inclusive

Since 1938, the AbilityOne® Program has helped people who are blind or have other significant disabilities find their place in the world through employment. Peckham, Inc. is one of more than 600 nonprofit agencies that provides employment for AbilityOne employees. Founded in 1976, Peckham specializes in creating positive change in the lives of people with disabilities or other barriers to employment.

Success stories of clients who have gained greater independence and self-sufficiency abound at Peckham, which is headquartered in Lansing, Mich. Geraldine Rush is one of those success stories. Her career with Peckham began in September 2008. Today, Rush works on the Green Jacket line where she uses an automated machine to place insignia Velcro® patches on the front of jackets. Her position helped her realize her life-long dream of learning to sew.

That was only the beginning. The AbilityOne Program has also afforded her a happier, more fulfilled life. “My job is number one. I am motivated to come to work every day,” she says. “We are always learning new things. It is great to feel like a part of something, where your work is valued, where you are valued. It encourages me to try and do more.”

During her more than three years at Peckham, Rush has made huge strides. The accomplishment she is proudest of, however, is discovering her worth. She says, “I don’t have to pretend, I can be who I am. I am viewed as a person, and people listen to me and under-stand. I have met a lot of people and developed friendships.”

This is a major coup for someone who has endured major personal setbacks throughout her life. “I spent most of my years hiding, keeping in the background, trying not to be

noticed. I felt inferior and insecure in the world. I had a lack of trust in myself and everyone. I never really had any friends, only family and pets to lean on,” says Rush, who suffered scarlet fever and polio in childhood.

In the 1990s she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “I didn’t have much middle ground. I went from high highs to very low lows. I wanted to end it all. Now I take medication that really helps me,” continues Rush, who attempted to self-medicate with drugs. That is her past. She recently celebrated seven years of sobriety.

At 62, Rush has acquired her first apartment, which, she says, has become a source of stability. “It feels good. I am young at heart and feel like I am really just beginning my life. I am still growing and learning,” says Rush. “I feel that whatever I want now, I can do! The opportunity is there to learn more, do more. I even encourage others to learn and grow.”

More than assisting people who have disabilities with job placement, the AbilityOne Program helps restore their sense of value. “Work motivates me to get up in the morning,” says Rush. “I know that each day I am going to hear something good, something positive.” H

Peckham Motivates Employees to SucceedBy Chianti C. Cleggett, contributing feature writer

February 2012 | 21

22 | NISH WORKPLACE

Hats Off

Louisville-Area Goodwill Hits Job Placement Record in 2011 Last month, Business First, a local business journal in the Louisville, Ky. area, reported that Goodwill Indus-tries of Kentucky Inc. placed a record-setting 2,584 people in jobs in 2011. This number is a 36 percent increase from the previous year.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky placed 1,654 people in jobs in the first seven months of fiscal year 2011, just three shy of the total number of placements the organization achieved in 2010. The job creation, training and placement agency for Kentuckians with disabilities or other barriers to employment also paid out $9,222,566 in mission-related wages from Septem-ber 2010 through April 2011, slightly up from 2010.

“At this time last year, we had placed 773 individuals in jobs, which was an increase over 2009,” said Roland R. Blahnik, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. “We expect to see our placement figures follow this upward trajectory for the remainder of the year as the number of people who come to Goodwill for job training and placement assistance continues to rise.” While the primary function of Goodwill’s donation and retail centers are to create jobs and job training opportunities, the centers also generate revenue to support a variety of employment and placement programs throughout the state. The agency served nearly 10,800 individu-als in 2010 and is on pace to exceed that number in 2011.

“Individuals with disabilities or other disadvantages face barriers that are magnified in a struggling economy,” said Blahnik. “Goodwill’s job place-ment services help narrow the gap and put Kentuckians to work.”

Goodwill operates 59 donation and retail centers in 39 counties. In 2010, the agency built new centers to replace older facilities in Burnside, Bowling Green and Louisville, while a new location opened in Columbia

in October. In 2011, Goodwill has relocated centers in Louisville (Middle-town) and Hopkinsville and opened a new location in Paris. Goodwill expects to open a donation and retail center in Barbourville later this year.

About Goodwill Industries of KentuckyAs one of the largest Goodwill organi-zations in the country, Goodwill Indus-tries of Kentucky accepts a variety of donations, including used clothing and other household items, which are sold in its stores. Donations are tax deduct-ible and receipts are available. Goodwill Industries of Kentucky has helped place 1,654 Kentuckians in jobs and paid more than $9 million in mission-related wages in during the first seven months of fiscal year 2011. Kentucky’s Goodwill has 59 centers throughout the state that provide jobs and job training. Goodwill also provides employment services and post-employment support to help people with disabilities or other disad-vantages achieve and maintain employ-ment to gain a better quality of life. For your nearest donation center or retail store, visit www.goodwillky.org. H

Washington Post Features Linden ResourcesThe Capital Business section of the Washington Post recently featured NISH-affiliated nonprofit agency (NPA) Linden Resources as a “Company to Watch in 2012” by their partner Midtown Group. The story demon-strates Linden’s passion for helping people with significant disabilities to have jobs and expand their employ-ment opportunities. NPA also issued a challenge to businesses through-out the Washington metro region to include people with disabilities in their workforce diversity definitions and increase the number of people with disabilities they employ by 15 percent. Linden will raise the bar for this challenge by: 1) connecting employers to highly skilled and trained, ready-to-work employees and 2) augmenting Linden’s current successful commercial printing business that employs people with disabilities by launching the only secure document destruction business

in the region that exclusively employs people with disabilities/wounded warrior veterans. H

Schubert Receives Appoint-ment as PCSI President & CEOProfessional Contract Services Inc.’s (PCSI) Board of Directors confirmed the appointment of Carroll Schubert as President & CEO in early Novem-ber 2011. In an announcement, Chief Financial Officer Trina Baumgarten stated, “As nterim President & CEO for the past nine months, Carroll has done a fantastic job of directing the company. The Board of Directors, along with the Executive Staff, believe he will continue to be a strong and compassionate leader for PCSI.”

Schubert received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University before receiving a J.D. from the University of Texas, School of Law. He then joined the State Bar of Texas and began his noteworthy career. Some of his many accomplishments include:

� Major in the U.S. Army Reserve - 16 years

� Member of the State Bar of the District of Columbia

� Member of the San Antonio Bar Association

� Executive Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen

� Director of Government Affairs and Community Relations for Valero

� Energy Corporation � Chief Deputy District Attorney for

Bexar County � Commissioner for the Bexar County

Sheriff ’s Civil Service Commission � Board of Directors of the Texas

District and County Attorney’s Association

� Board of Directors of the Texas Wildlife Association

� San Antonio City Council, District 9 � Chairman of the Board, Professional

Contract Services, Inc.Schubert is an accomplished legal expert, a savvy businessman, who has tirelessly developed necessary company policies and negotiated with labor unions and trade organizations. As the new Presi-dent & CEO, Schubert is committed to leading this organization by example. H

NISH Training Calendar

6, 7Productivity Improvement: Practical Approaches to a Productive Workplace for People with Disabilities Using New Work Methods and Assistive Technology

Seattle, WA

6, 7, 8 Contact Center Services Planning and Business Development Vienna, VA

6, 7, 8 Federal Compliance Symposium Charlotte, NC

6, 7, 8 Nonprofit Management Best Practices New Orleans, LA

13, 14CIMS-GB Certification – Raise Your Standards and Improve Custodial Operations (with the Cleaning Industry Management Standard and Green Building Certification)

Atlanta, GA

14 Mobile Vehicle Washing Maintenance: Hands-On Training Dallas, TX

14, 15 AbilityOne Business Development Seminar: Tools for Growing Your Business Tampa, FL

14, 15Time Studies: Determining Commensurate Wages for Employees Paid Piece Rates & Employees Paid Hourly

Phoenix, AZ

20, 21 Document Destruction Sales Training Las Vegas, NV

20, 21, 22 AbilityOne Academy Vienna, VA

21, 22 Business Development 1: The Planning Process Salt Lake City, UT

21, 22 Finance and Business Essentials San Antonio, TX

21, 22Systematic Instruction: Assuring Quality Performance and Increasing Productivity

Atlanta, GA

27, 28 Managing People for Performance Excellence New York, NY

27, 28, 29Carpet Cleaning Maintenance Technician (CCMT) Three-Day Hands-On IICRC Certification Course

Las Vegas, NV

27, 28, 29, 30 MODAPTS 1 - Basic Practitioner Certification Charlotte, NC

28, 29 Person-Centered Planning for Employment San Francisco, CA

MARCH

February 2012 | 23

NISH offers a wide range of training opportunities through the NISH Academy for Leadership, Performance & Development. For more information, to request a 2012 training calendar or to register for courses, please contact the NISH Training Team at 571/226-4660 or visit the NISH Web site at www.nish.org.

NISH

WorkplaceNISH8401 Old Courthouse RoadVienna, VA 22182

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDReston, VA

Permit No. 84

NISH MissionCreating employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities.