Highlights - Life`s Work

®
Highlights
Fall 2006
Life’sWork Honors 365 Years of Employment
T
hese days, it’s virtually unheard of:
working at the same job for more than
10 or even five years.
But can you imagine 30 years? Patty
Hartman can.
On October 24, Life’sWork honored Patty,
along with 22 of her co-workers for, well,
working. Since 1976, Patty has been one of
our key production team members.
Nearly 100 Life’sWork friends and
family members attended the luncheon
to recognize a combined 365 years
of successful employment. As each
award was presented, case managers
spoke briefly to the honoree’s individual
workplace achievements, several of which
included part-time job experiences in the
community.
Pam Spencer, Electrolux International,
assisted Everett McElveen, Life’sWork’s
President and CEO with the presentation
of awards. Ms. Spencer chairs the
organization’s Business Advisory Council.
“This annual event reminds us what can
happen when we work together as a team,”
said Mr. McElveen. “It’s how Life’sWork has
been able to provide opportunities for more
than 80,000 individuals with disabilties
over the past 79 years and why we must
continue to do so for another 79 years to
come.”
We proudly present this
year’s honorees:
5 Years
Marc Bilsky, Samantha
Elsey, Sunni Herndon,
Dana Joe, Gerard
Williams
10 Years
Ron Adams, James Price,
Robin Salciccioli
15 Years
Tony Ross, Cheryl
Septer, Vicki Sitton, Mary
Zamboni
Pam Spencer, Patty Hartman and Everett McElveen
20 Years
Ed Black, Tina Griffith,
David Lloyd, Joan
Mandrier, Greg Manning,
Sandy Thompson
25 Years
Doug Blanda, Paul
Friedland, Ken Jeskevic,
Dean Pistella
30 Years
Patty Hartman
Ed Black accompanied by sister Joy Bonime
and brother-in-law Richard Bonime.
Robin Salciccioli and Sandy
Thompson
training site for at-risk youth and young
adults with disabilities, provided dessert.
Special thanks to Eat’n Park Hospitality
Group for their donation of Smiley
Cookies.
Lunch was catered by Flavorville Cafe,
an on-site training program staffed
entirely by individuals participating in
Life’sWork’s programs. Life’sWork’s
Ben & Jerry’s PartnerShop, a hands-on
Connections Opens for Business
O
n October 16, Customer Service
Representative
(CSR)
Michele
Buccilli answered Connections’ first
incoming customer phone call, successfully
“connecting” the Pittsburgh call center to
Life’sWork’s regional customer service
network.
Connections services more than 300
accounts located in West Virginia, Michigan
and eastern Pennsylvania and employs 26
agents. The system is equipped to handle
call volume for up to 3,000 agents located at
remote locations anywhere in the country.
Connections, Life’sWork’s newest venture,
is a full-service call center. Using the
latest in telecommunications technology,
But Connections is a training program first;
a business enterprise second. Connections’
eight-week CSR course gives individuals
And we’re available for hire.
with disabilities or other barriers to
employment
comprehensive
and
individualized training in the customer
service industry.
The training includes an aggressive job
placement component, which is what
sets Connections apart from other CSR
programs. To date, 100 percent of our
CSR graduates have been offered
Continued on page 2
www.lifesworkwpa.org
Ben & Jerry’s: Taking It to the Streets
W
e, at Life’sWork, believe it’s never
too cold for ice cream. Especially
when it’s Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
However, we realize that most folks would
prefer not to leave the cozy comfort of
their home or office to brave the ice and
snow...even for a scoop of the creamiest,
chunkiest ice cream in town.
So let us bring the euphoria to you!
Even when the weather outside is
frightful, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream social
can make any event delightful! That’s why
our Traveling Scoop Shop is available
year round for all sorts of parties and
celebrations. It’s a mobile version of our
Pittsburgh-based scoop shop, completely
stocked with your selection of Ben &
Jerry’s super premium flavors and staffed
with our expert scoopers.
In 2006, our Traveling Scoop Shop
catered more than 100 employee
recognition events, Secretary’s Days,
high school football games, birthday
parties, bat mitzvahs, and weddings.
And we recently started working with
thousands of public and private schools
across southwestern Pennsylvania to
customize a profit-sharing arrangement
at school-sponsored events. It’s an easy
way for schools to raise money for their
class projects because we do all the set
up, scooping and clean up.
“The staff and kids love it! We have so
much fun choosing our flavors, and we
look forward to our monthly ice cream
treat,” said Meghan Mager, a teacher at
South Brook Middle School who organizes
the Traveling Scoop Shop’s monthly visits
to the school. “Your scoopers are just
awesome, and we are very proud of this
partnership with Life’sWork and Ben &
Jerry’s,” she said.
Ice Cream with a Cause
Ben & Jerry’s has
a strong social
mission that
stresses the central
role that business
plays in society.
PartnerShops, which are Ben & Jerry’s
scoop shops that are owned and
operated by not-for-profit organizations
for the purpose of providing employment
opportunities to youth with hiring barriers,
are an integral part of that social mission.
Life’sWork’s Ben & Jerry’s PartnerShop
is one of only 13 in the U.S. and U.K.
Located at 5885 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel
Hill, it serves as a hands-on training site
for at-risk youth and young adults with
disabilities participating in Life’sWork’s
programs. All ice cream sales, including
proceeds from our Traveling Scoop Shop,
support Life’sWork and the PartnerShop
training program.
So please remember Life’sWork’s Ben
& Jerry’s Traveling Scoop Shop in your
event planning. At home or at the office,
our Ben & Jerry’s ice
cream socials are truly
the “coolest” way to
celebrate any occasion.
5885 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 521-7550
benjerrysquirrelhill.com
www.benjerry.com/squirrelhill
Traveling Scoop Shop:
(412) 471-2600, x242
uBy the cup or cone
uSundae parties
uPint parties
uCup cake parties
More than 30 flavors to
choose from!
Call to book your
event today.
Connections Opens for Business (continued)
employment or are currently working in a
telecommunications position in an area
call center.
The next CSR class, which starts on
November 27, offers an exciting and
unprecedented incentive to students: for
the last four weeks of class, participants
will receive a $20 daily stipend for
attendance. It’s a potential to earn up to
$400 while learning marketable skills.
For more information:
Connections CSR program
Erika Arbogast
(412) 471-2600, x327
earbogast@lifesworkwpa.org
Pricing and business services
(412) 471-2600, x314
sales@lifesworkwpa.org or
connections@lifesworkwpa.org
Michele Buccilli takes the first incoming customer
phone call, successfully connecting the call center to
Life’sWork’s regional customer service network. Buccilli
is one of four Connections graduates who were recently
hired to staff the Pittsburgh call center.
www.lifesworkwpa.org
Life’sWork hosted its Third Annual A White House Barbecue on Saturday,
September 16 at Chartiers Country Club.
More than 160 guests enjoyed a casual autumn afternoon featuring the
culinary creations of world-renowned Chef Russell Cronkhite, an awards
presentation, and the boot-stompin’ tunes of Dallas Marks.
This year’s honorees:
Event Chair Tony Bucci and Life’sWork Board Chair Ed Aiello
Consumer of the Year Andrew Volz
Compton Awardee Judy Key (right),
McDonalds USA, LLC with presenter
Azita Owlia, Bayer Corporation
Linda Dickerson and Attila Molnar
Consumer of the Year Gloria
Mehlmauer (right) with presenter
Carol Kunic, OVR
Mulach Awardee S. Tyrone Alexander
Chef Russell Cronkhite
Career Achievement Awardee Mel Blount and family
Sponsored by:
Bayer Corporation N Chapman Properties N Duquesne
University N Eden Hall Foundation N Highmark Inc. N
Liberty Mutual Group N MARC USA
www.lifesworkwpa.org
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PITTSBURGH, PA
PERMIT NO. 1235
®
1323 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-4700
(412) 471-2600
222 Nazareth Drive
Belle Vernon, PA 15012-9303
(724) 684-3630
The mission of Life’sWork
of Western PA is to continue
its comprehensive and
innovative role of assisting
persons with disabilities or
other barriers to employment
to achieve independence and
dignity through productive
employment opportunities.
Highlights is available in electronic format. Just send an email to pr@lifesworkwpa.org with the phrase EMAIL ME in the subject line.
nnual
he
Save t
date!
16th A
TRACO Golf Invitational
May 15, 2007
Treesdale Golf & Country Club
Are you on the mailing list?
Contact Diane Berg at (412) 471-2600,
x376 or dberg@lifesworkwpa.org.
United Way Contributor Choice Codes: 107 (Pittsburgh) and 1527 (Mon Valley)
Combined Federal Campaign Code: 7057
www.lifesworkwpa.org