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OPWDD Honors S:US With ‘Not-For-Profit Employer Of The Year’ Award

OPWDD Honors S:US With ‘Not-For-Profit Employer Of The Year’ Award

S:US is proud to be honored with the 2014 Not-for-Profit Employer of the Year award by the Office for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

For National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the annual OPWDD Works For Me awards honors selected businesses from across New York State that have proven that hiring individuals with development disabilities is great for business, demonstrating that these workers are valued members of the state’s vibrant workforce.

Phill Cayenne, a resident of S:US’ Avenue J,  accepted the award, that spotlighted S:US’ Urban Farms and his work as an assistant within the program.

“In my job, I do things like landscaping, planting vegetables, harvesting vegetables, beekeeping, and helping with workshops,” Phill says of his duties that see him teaching cooking and horticulture workshops for individuals residing with and served by S:US programs in addition to farming. “I’m proud of my job because it gives me knowledge to take myself further, and it helps me be more independent.”

Others within S:US have also noticed that Phill has bloomed right along with the fruits and vegetables he takes pride in growing. “Phill’s rapport with his peers has made him a valued and recognized member of the S:US Urban Farms community,” said Michael Hollis, S:US Urban Farms Manager. “I’m very proud of his personal development on the job over the past year, as he maintained his ability to work independently while also becoming an excellent team player.”

Phill took a special trip to get his award and was delighted to be the subject of a featured video that was shown at the ceremony. “I went to Albany to get the award and it was a great experience,” he says. ” They made a video of me working. When I saw it, I felt proud of how far I came, that I could do so much. I want to say thank you to everyone that helped me to take myself to the next level [of my personal development].”

Congratulations to S:US resident Phill who attended the OPWDD “Works For Me” awards where the featured video below was shown to audiences.

Click here to learn more about S:US’ Urban Farms Programs.

Click here to learn how to hire a person with a disability at your company.

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