 |
Marlborough Employers feted at awards dinnerFirms partner with Employment Options to provide jobsMarlborough - Employment Options celebrated its new location March 25 with a grand opening and its 2004 Employment Awards Dinner. The dinner was the first in a series of events marking the new and improved site at 82 Brigham St. "Our employers are the key to our success," said Anupa Shah, marketing and employment manager at Employment Options, Inc. "Their support has helped our members 'own' jobs and learn new skills, while providing the agency with a respectable basket of references. This is our way of showing gratitude to them (employers) - by showcasing this facility first to them." The Employer Appreciation Awards recognized companies and the Employee Appreciation Awards honored "clubhouse" members. Clubhouses such as the Options Clubhouse in Marlborough are centers funded by the state Department of Mental Health to provide a welcoming place in the community for people who have a mental illness. Strengths and abilities are the focus rather than the illness. Employment Options in Marlborough is one of more than 300 clubhouse programs operating in 24 countries around the world. Employment Options is a non-profit agency serving adults with mental illness and other challenged populations in the MetroWest region. "Employment Options believes," said Shah, "in an individual's right to independent and dignified living, and provides meaningful services ranging from employment, education, housing, deaf and family services to social needs." "The diverse types of jobs held by members demonstrate that even those living with a mental illness have strong and varied skills, which when honed and applied well can prove mutually benefit to the member and to the community," said Toni Wolf, executive director. The employment programs -- Transitional, Supported, and Independent -- are currently working with companies that include Community Newspaper Company, CVS, Eddie Bauer, Marshalls, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Target, to name a few. More than 890 Massachusetts companies employed clubhouse members in 2002 according to the employment survey the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition released last year. Sue Durnford, a member of the Employment Options board of directors, was the guest speaker. She is the owner and operator of HR Source, Inc., a human resources consulting firm specializing in support for small businesses. The Employment Awards Dinner celebrated the grand opening of the new site. Table settings for the awards event were donated by The Buffet Way of Marlborough. The formal ribbon-cutting of the new facility will take place at a Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event, hosted by Employment Options, on Wednesday, April 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Options' staff and members are always looking for new opportunities with area employers and matching those with members ready to join the work force. For more information about Employment Options, or to announce positions at your company, visit the Website at www.employmentoptions.org or call 508-485-5051. Employment Options, Inc. Business Award Recipients
|
