News
Foundation Trustees Approve $510,106 in Disability Grants
March 1, 2008 - West Orange, NJ - The Board of Trustees of Kessler Foundation has approved 15 new grant allocations totaling $510,106 to benefit people with physical disabilities through community employment and special initiatives.
The employment and special initiative grants are awarded to organizations that work toward increasing employment opportunities and improving the quality of life for people with physical disabilities in New Jersey. Grant recipients are selected based on their impact to the public and proven success of their programs.
“Finding and keeping a job is often a challenge for individuals with physical disabilities. “Transition to Work” grants support community organizations that help people overcome barriers to employment through their focus on job development, training, placement and employer education, said Elaine E. Katz, Vice President of Grant Programs and Special Initiatives. “Through our targeted approach, we hope to reduce the high unemployment rates of people with disabilities.”
Community Employment Grants
- Abilities Center of Southern New Jersey, Inc. (Westville, NJ) - To expand vocational evaluation services for community and school-to-career programs: $20,000.
- Cheshire Home, Inc. (Florham Park, NJ) - To provide individually designed, vocationally based, computer instruction and transportation services to young adults with physical disabilities: $33,000.
- Employment Horizons, Inc. (Cedar Knolls, NJ) - To add a part-time Document Management Services (DMS) Training Technician for training in scanning for consumers and prepare the organization for DARM certification: $50,000.
- JESPY House, Inc. (South Orange, NJ) - To place individuals with learning and physical disabilities in job training and skill development enclaves at two senior citizen housing sites and two other ommunity settings with the goal of transitioning to future competitive employment: $46,506.
- Jewish Family & Vocational Service of Middlesex County (Edison, NJ) - To expand supported employment services for individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury and other disabilities, and add long-term follow along and business/employer education components: $41,948.