Live United by Garry Hart

 

Cedar Valley Services Inc. is a private nonprofit organization that works with adults with disabilities in Freeborn County.  Cedar Valley has been part of the community for over 50 years providing work training, work development and transportation to adults with disabilities. The disability can range from a person with developmental disability to someone who has mental health concerns. 

Cedar Valley Services receives United Way funding to assist with community employment and transportation. This funding provides adults with support for work development, job training and transportation.  The United Way is an important partner with Cedar Valley and helps over 45 people with disabilities in community employment options. 

One of our success stories is a worker named Susan. She started with our program in 2008. Previously, Susan had experience working at the Skyline Mall cafeteria, Hardee’s, Burger King and Hudson Foods. When she started with CVS, we quickly learned that she was responsible and took her jobs seriously. Susan fell one day while she was at home. For the next several years, Susan underwent surgeries on her knees and feet. Arthritis also set in, and it kept Susan from working her normal schedule. During her recovery time, she needed to have a job sitting down with a limited work schedule. Susan worked in the facility for several years after. Recently, after Susan received work training, she started working in the community again. Because of the work training, she can work more hours standing and moving around her worksite. Currently, Susan started employment at one of the Cedar Valley work sites at Riverland College. The work site is our food service program where she is training with cooking, cleaning tables and working the dishwasher. Since her time at the job site, she is a huge asset and a value to the crew. Her supervisor stated, “Susan is very willing to help out where needed and she does a great job. We are thrilled to have her on board!”

With the work site, Susan is training and learning how to do several jobs in a restaurant. Her goal is to work independently at a job site again. 

Susan is one of many workers we provide services for at Cedar Valley Services. Workers like Susan are proud to be part of the workforce in our community.

Cedar Valley continues to look for community contracts and other work opportunities for people with disabilities. If you would like to know more about Cedar Valley, please contact Garry Hart at ghart@cedarvalleyservices.org, or call me at 379-9869.

Garry Hart is the division director for Cedar Valley Services.