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| CSS featured on local NBC evening news! |
(On Thursday August 3rd, our local NBC affiliate (WAVY-TV 10) aired a segment called "Your Hampton Roads." This extensive piece featured a tour of CSS headquarters and our new laundry vocational center in Portsmouth. It also featured interviews with our Executive Director, Tom Swanston and numerous CSS clients. Our clients proudly demonstrated the work that they do and discussed how much their jobs mean to them.
You can view this exciting piece at the following link. http://www.wavy.com/Global/category.asp?C=82226
Scroll down and click on the video called "Tom Swanston-Provider of Purpose"
While you are in the site, we encourage you to write to WAVY-TV 10 telling them how much you like the piece. It's important to thank them for spotlighting the talents and abilities of people with severe disabilities, so they will continue to keep focusing on a vulnerable population that is largely ignored in the media. You can reach WAVY-TV 10 by clicking on the Contact WAVY section.
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| CSS's laundry vocational center employee meets with Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes |
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Mr. Bill Davis, who lost his job of 23 years at Tidewater Occupational Center (TOC) when it closed in June of 2004, recently took a trip to Washington D.C. with CSS's Executive Director Tom Swanston to meet with 4th District Congressman Randy Forbes. They discussed the importance of working in the lives of people with mental retardation and other severe disabilities.
Bill shared with Congressman Forbes his compelling story. When TOC closed and he lost his job, he became severely depressed. His physical and emotional health rapidly deteriorated. Bill literally stayed at home all day doing nothing. The paychecks he took so much pride in receiving every two weeks, stopped coming. His life turned into endless hours of waiting for another opportunity to be a productive member of his community. Bill has said time and time again that the closing of TOC "broke his heart." It clearly broke more than that. It broke his spirit, and the spirits of 160 other people with severe disabilities who are currently unemployed.
Fortunately, Bill is back working again. He loves his job at CSS's newly expanded laundry vocational center in Portsmouth, Virginia. Not only does he fold towels, sheets, and run the laundry equipment, but he is our client spokesperson. Bill has appeared on numerous TV shows and in the newspaper talking about the importance of work for people with disabilities. His vibrant personality and energy perfectly display how working brings people with severe developmental disabilities back to life.
CSS is grateful to Congressman Randy Forbes for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with both Bill and Tom. Congressman Forbes is well known for his dedication to helping people with severe disabilities. His compassion and commitment to the most vulnerable population in Hampton Roads is appreciated by all.
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| Sara Lee donates $16,000 to help people with severe disabilities |
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(From left to right: Tom Lucas, of Troutman and Sanders, CSS Board President, Brian Pedigo, Human Resources and Safety Manager, Sara Lee Coffee and Tea USA, Clarence Hawkins, commercial laundry facility employee.)
At a recent Board Meeting, CSS was presented with a check for $16,000 from the Sara Lee Foundation. This generous donation has allowed CSS to pay for the connection and installation fees for the ironer, shrink-wrap machine, and soil sort conveyor system. This will allow us to bring in more work and thus create more jobs for people with severe developmental disabilities who are currently unemployed.
Clarence Hawkins was on hand to accept the check. He worked for Tidewater Occupational Center for 23 years and lost his job when it closed in June 2004. Clarence recently started working at our new laundry facility and just collected his first paycheck in 2 years. Thank you Sara Lee! |
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| World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) donates over 300 t-shirts |
| World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) generously donated over 300 t-shirts as work incentives for our clients. Our clients work extremely hard and as a thank you for their dedication, the t-shirts were distributed last week. Thank You WWE for your generosity. The clients love their t-shirts and wear them with pride. Here are some photos of the clients: |
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| Happy Birthday Tom! |
| The clients at CSS's headquarters threw our Executive Director, Tom Swanston a birthday party this month complete with singing, dancing, and a cake. A good time was had by all! |
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| Watch our new 30-second commercial! |
| To watch our new 30-second TV Commercial, go here! |
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