More people are finding jobs and training for them through Quadco Rehabilitation Center (QRC) according to reports heard at the center’s joint board meeting held Tuesday (Sept. 24).
QRC Executive Director Bruce Abell noted the increased emphasis being placed on community employment for the individuals with disabilities they serve by state officials and local county boards.
Mr. Abell talked about the governor’s Employment First Initiative that places an emphasis on having young people graduating from school explore job options in the community as a first priority. He said the initiative also seeks to have people in workshops reexamine community employment options.
He pointed out that QRC has an employment service that for many years has worked with employers to successfully assist people with finding jobs that meet their goals. He said the center continues to provide that service to the area boards and agencies that refer people with disabilities for employment services.
Sharon von Seggern, manager of the service known as Northwest Employment Services, told the board members that they assisted two individuals with obtaining jobs this past month.
She also reported that 13 individuals are working at the SUBWAY® restaurants and Mama DeLuca’s® Pizza Now! restaurant that QRC owns and operates. The people are receiving training that they hope to use in obtaining a job or to prepare them for future employment.
Mr. Abell told the board members that QRC is looking at developing a policy dealing with an armed intruder. He said some deputies from the Defiance County Sheriff’s Department will be making a presentation about the A.L.I.C.E. program at their upcoming Inservice training day on November 4.
“That’s the first step for us in carefully putting together a policy that would help us deal with an armed intrusion in the event that that should ever happen,” Mr. Abell said.
“It’s a serious situation and I don’t want to pretend it could never happen here,” he continued. “This is the first step in preparing us to put together a policy so that we know how we want to deal with that kind of situation.”
Dalton Kidd from Fulton County was introduced to the board members. He said he likes to work on the hard wood pallets at QRC’s Northwest Products plant in Archbold and likes to do material handling.
The board members approved the 2014 fiscal year budget at Tuesday’s meeting and reviewed results of the board self evaluation.
Board members specifically pointed out that they felt the attendance of the board members was good through the year, and they enjoyed visits from the people being served at the board meetings.
“I’ve said this before, I’ve been on a lot of boards and this is the best board I’ve ever been on as far as organization, meeting structure and so forth,” said Jean Lightle-Jackman of Defiance, who is the Vice President of the board. “I think we’re doing very well. This is a wonderful board.”
Program Director Philip Zuver reported that there has been an increase in the amount of work at both the Northwest Products plant and also at the Stryker building.
He also said that their ISO audit earlier this month went extremely well with no findings.
A group from QRC went through the corn maze at Votaw Farms near Pioneer last week. Program Coordinator Jessica Douglass said groups at the Stryker building also worked on science experiments in the past month that included learning how to shine dull pennies, make rock candy and create a rubbery concoction they called “flubber.”
She said others, including members of the seniors group, attended the Williams County Fair this month and created pressed leaf pieces and pastel drawings in the Art Club.
Individuals from QRC’s Defiance center also participated in the Art Club, went on weekly shopping outings, and prepared some special dishes cooking in the kitchen.
Mrs. Douglass said that members of the garden club harvested some good looking watermelons from their garden this year.
The next meeting of Quadco’s joint Administrative and Non-Profit board will be on Tuesday, October 22.
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