2 Central Coast nonprofits join forces to increase jobs for adults with disabilities
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Two nonprofit organizations are joining forces to help adults with disabilities find employment.
CommUnify and VTC Enterprises are combining resources which they say will help increase jobs for adults with disabilities while helping at-risk seniors.
Food preparer Michael Vargas is grateful to have a job at VTC Enterprises.
"It’s very important to me because I work with other individuals like me. I like doing my work and being around customers and helping my coworkers out," said Vargas.
The program is expanding to increase jobs for adults with disabilities.
It’s all thanks to a new partnership with CommUnify, another nonprofit helping Santa Barbara County live healthier lives.
"It’s allowed a lot of our individuals who basically would’ve been sitting at home through the pandemic to continue working," said The A Street Cafe manager Robin Patten of VTC Enterprises.
The new program is also helping at-risk seniors.
"260 meals a day for the seniors so they do all the prep for it … they help to serve up the meals … they help to cook the meals. and commUnify has drivers that come help and deliver," said Patton.
The partnership is allowing VTC Enterprises to offer twice the number of jobs here to adults with disabilities.
"It’s important because these seniors may not have a hot meal. Or they might not even have one meal a day. and so this service is very important," said The A Street Cafe chef manager Susanne Huff of VTC Enterprises.
"It’s going fantastic … so far review we’re getting many reviews and great responses from the elders that are receiving the meals," said Lead cook Michael Cody of CommUnify.
Organizers say the partnership has been especially effective during the pandemic.
The need for a senior nutrition program called Health at Home has more than doubled.
"Our hope is to keep on doing it and doing a really good job and possibly expanding that time and three able to do service for more," said Huff
"It makes me feel good because I am helping VTC with delivering the food and I’m helping the community and it makes me feel like a good employee with VTC," said Vargas.
The organizations are currently providing 250 meals per day to 200 residents.
