Enable America Helps People with Disabilities in North Carolina |
Raleigh, NC – October 20, 2010: Building on the success of last year’s launch and growth in North Carolina, Enable America has announced another series of disability mentoring day programs and job seekers workshops designed to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. These programs are part of Enable America’s continued support of Disability Mentoring Month in October, and Disabled Veteran Employment Mentoring Month in November.
“Over the past year-and-a-half we have been overwhelmed by the desire of North Carolina businesses and service organizations to work together in helping people with disabilities and wounded warriors,” said Richard Salem, founder and CEO of Enable America. “Now, we’re excited to be taking our programs to new heights.”
As part of national Disability Mentoring Month this October, Enable America is providing programs in Raleigh to Progress Energy, Rex Healthcare, the Carolina Hurricanes, WakeMed, SAS and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.
Next month the organization will focus on aiding veterans and wounded warriors. Disabled Veteran Employment Mentoring Month programs will be held across three cities: at Progress Energy, IBM, Lexis Nexis, and WRAL in Raleigh, at PPD in Wilmington, and at Bank of America in Charlotte.
“The services we provide this fall are all part of a greater ‘Path to Employment Program,’ that Enable America has developed,” said Steve LaBour, Executive Director of Enable America. “As part of that, career mentoring days match mentors from local companies with ‘mentees’ from the community, people with disabilities or wounded veterans who often have difficulty finding work. In addition, our job seekers workshops help people improve their skills by giving them the opportunity to work one-on-one with human resource managers as career coaches, people who are actually on the front line of hiring.”
Enable America has been honored for its work in this field. Earlier this year the organization won the 2010 Non-Profit Achiever Award by The Corporate Achievers for Individuals with Disabilities (CAAID). CAAID Chairman Chris Rosa said, “Enable America’s disability employee mentoring programs are national best practices that are consistent with our core principles, promoting equal access, opportunity, and full participation of professionals with disabilities in a truly diverse global workforce.”
Enable America provides other services designed to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Community connection forums bring local leaders, lawmakers, employers and service providers together to learn and share success stories. These meetings are an important step in building a bridge between those with disabilities, and their community.
Other successful programs launched by Enable America include VetConnect, which is dedicated to helping wounded warriors re-acclimate to civilian life, by pairing them with veterans who have faced similar challenges. Since 2007, more than two-hundred wounded warriors and their families have been served by VetConnect mentors across the country.
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