Gateway Employment Resources, Inc.
Partners with Business. . .
Enhancing the Employability of
People with DisAbilities
Welcome to Gateway Employment!
See photos from our recent "Night at the Races" Fundraiser under 'Events'
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Message from the President
David Giraldi
At a time when the economy continues to struggle and the unemployment rate has exceeded 10%, it may seem strange to begin this message with news of a celebration, but I am glad to do so because in 2010, Gateway Employment Resources, Inc. will celebrate its 25th year of providing employment services to individuals with disabilities!
It has been 25 years of continued growth and success as we have increased the size of our organization, the number of individuals we serve, the scope of our services, and the types of disabilities we address. It has been 25 years of developing new partners in the community, new employers who provide employment to our participants, new volunteers, and new funding sources to support our efforts.
Perhaps it is not so out of line to celebrate at a time of economic crisis because economic difficulties are a constant situation for individuals with disabilities who always struggle to find employment that is meaningful and provides them with the opportunity to earn a living and become self-sufficient.
Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the unemployment rate in September was 16.2% for individuals with disabilities compared to 9.2% for non-disabled individuals. Some consider this a misleading rate because it only measures those individuals who had jobs and lost them and estimate that the number of work ready individuals with disabilities without a job exceeds 70%. A recent survey by Mathematica Policy Research said that 44% of disabled Social Security beneficiaries surveyed indicated that the wanted to find a job or a better job.
Cleary, individuals with disabilities want to work and with the proper preparation and support are able to work.
Which is why Gateway continues to exist and continues to succeed twenty five years after our inception!
In spite of the rough times with the economy, we continue to provide meaningful services that effectively address the needs of the individuals we serve, their families, and their communities. We build hope for the future through employment that is a win-win situation for the individuals we serve, their families, the businesses that hire our participants, and the greater community.
We have succeeded for all of these years, and will continue to succeed in the future, because of the commitment of our staff, the leadership of our Board of Directors, the support of the general public and volunteers, our positive relationships with employers, our strong engagement with the community, and most importantly, our commitment to provide quality services to the individuals we serve. .
As an example of our commitment to new services and our ability to seek out new support, we have recently become a Ticket to Work Employment Network through a contract with the Social Security Administration and obtained a new contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Autism to expand our services to this population.
I do not expect the next few years to be easy, but then again, the last twenty five years have presented more than their share of challenges; and just as we have overcome the challenges of the past, I expect we will continue to do so in the future as we continue to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the resources to succeed. To accomplish our organizational goals and the goals of the individuals we serve, we will need to continue to increase participation and support from the public, including the expansion of volunteers to supplement the services offered by our staff, but I am confident that we will succeed.
It will be great feeling to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2010! We hope you will join us as we mark this important milestone and continue to believe that with hope and commitment, nothing is impossible!
