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Soaring to New Heights

January 18, 2019

Two hundred guests gathered on Thursday, January 17th to attend Woods’ annual Fete & Fundraiser — raising more than $170,000 for Woods Services.

 

Guests were treated to an extraordinary array of food and drink from 12 of the area’s finest restaurants including Bella Tori at the Mansion (former home of Mollie Woods!), Chickie & Pete’s, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Just Food Catering, Liberty Bell Gastro Pub and Oliveto from Parx Casino, Lochel’s Bakery, McCaffrey’s Food Market, Nothing Bundt Cakes, O’Neills Catering, Rocco’s at the Brick, and Steam Pub. All of the restaurants donated a dish to guests greatly reducing expenses for the event. Wine was poured by Rose Bank Winery.

 

The event celebrated our four social enterprises — small businesses with a social mission — that provide training and job opportunities for people with disabilities. Any profits generated directly support the business and fund programs for the people we serve. Woods’ four social enterprises include Yellow Daffodil, a full service flower and gift shop; Common Grounds Café, which sells specialty coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads and convenience foods; BeechTree Enterprises, which makes bath and body products from organic ingredients and Woods Wear, a brand new apparel print shop that can accommodate large orders for special events or a single shirt with a personalized design. If you were unable attend the event, we encourage you to take a few minutes to watch a new video featuring these four success stories: http://bit.ly/fetevideo. Bev Fleming, owner of Rose Bank Winery, confirmed that the winery’s gift shop will soon be featuring a new line of jewelry from Yellow Daffodil!

 

Avi Saltzman, a Woods resident who works in Yellow Daffodil, stated with pride “[My work] helps me with my aggression and anger problems and with my disability.  It has helped me become a better person.” Patrick Allely, an employee in our print shop, shared that working in a social enterprise “teaches me how to be consistent, and consistent is the best thing I can be.  That’s how people believe in you, and you believe in yourself.”

 

Check out the latest “We Are Woods” newsletter!

November 20, 2018

Check out the latest “We Are Woods” newsletter!

October 25, 2018

There is great momentum around Woods’ transformation to a population health organization! We share our progress in our latest newsletter!

 

To diversify hiring, let employees with intellectual disabilities demonstrate their skills

January 18, 2018

*This article originally appeared on the Generocity website here.

Employment is a goal typically realized by developing desirable skills and then getting hired to use them. But what about when the employee’s abilities or needs don’t fit an employer’s usual expectations?

 

In 2016, there was a 38-percent employment rate in Pennsylvania among those with disabilities. Two local organizations, Neurodiversity in the Workplace and Woods Services, are working to increase the hiring of those left out of the workforce by matching employees’ skills and needs to suitable opportunities.

 

Neurodiversity in the Workplace is an initiative of The Arc of Philadelphia, part of the SpArc Philadelphia family of organizations. “Neurodiversity” characterizes diverse neurological conditions as natural, genetic variations that do not preclude individuals from functioning at high professional levels. Advocates wish to establish neurodiversity as critical to workforce diversity — and as an advantage rather than a disability.

 

The initiative builds on this movement to help those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) overcome unique employment hurdles. Young adults with ASD have the lowest rates of employment among peers with other developmental differences.

 

Neurodiversity in the Workplace brings together individuals with ASD and companies that are open to a neurodiverse workforce, allowing prospective employees to showcase their skills to hiring managers; it began in 2013 with a partnership with SAP toward the goal of employing individuals with ASD.

 

Director Joseph Riddle said he believes this is a better hiring process for those with ASD because it removes certain social standards, such as eye contact or communication style, which are usually part of the hiring process and put individuals with ASD at a disadvantage.

 

“If we can help change the culture of the company to be more inclusive, individuals with ASD can easily be integrated as loyal and happy employees,” Riddle said.

 

In the last three years, Neurodiversity in the Workplace has placed 29 clients into full-time positions at seven different companies, including in software and accounting, with 100 percent retention. The organization has also trained over 2,000 professionals to work with a neurodiverse population — an important part of its mission to get more companies to discuss, attend conferences about and engage in hiring neurodiverse individuals.

 

While Neurodiversity in the Workplace is closing the employment gap for a highly skilled population, Woods Services helps develop vocational skills among individuals who would not otherwise have the opportunity.

 

As a population health management organization, Langhorne-based Woods provides health, education, housing, case management services and more to children and adults with exceptional medical and behavioral challenges. It also employs service recipients at its enterprises, most notably the Yellow Daffodil Flower and Gift Shop.

 

Over the last 50 years, the flower shop has evolved from a greenhouse rotation on the Woods campus to a social enterprise with an on-campus workshop and off-campus storefront. Individuals are hired based on their abilities and interests and do jobs in floral arrangement, inventory and customer service.

 

“Skills gained at Yellow Daffodil are highly transferable and can lead to community-based jobs,” said Katie Carnevale, communications manager at Woods. “We can quantify and describe what each individual is capable of based on his or her success at the shop.”

 

Woods also offers employment opportunities at Common Grounds, Woods’ on-campus café, and BeechTree, a body product shop that started as a work unit within Woods’ Beechwood NeuroRehab and was recently established as a standalone social enterprise. At BeechTree, adults with acquired brain injuries create the products, design artwork and represent the company at local events.

 

Those who have succeeded at these enterprises have advanced to working at local businesses, including a hotel, clothing store and restaurant. Carnevale said she believes these experiences also help shape residents’ hopes for their futures.

 

For instance, one young man who thrived as a Common Grounds employee has since graduated and plans to open his own restaurant, Carnevale said. Woods is working to expand its social enterprises and offer more employment, but establishing its competitive advantage to keep the businesses sustainable has been a challenge.

 

Employers have the ability to make a big impact through modifications to their hiring practices — and some are — but consumers should also remember their own purchasing power and call for products of a diverse workforce.

 

“As large corporations increasingly embrace diversity in their workforces as mutually beneficial, they give their voice to this movement,” Carnevale said. “Then, smaller, local businesses will take notice, too.”

Yellow Daffodil Featured on Fox 29!

June 21, 2017

Fox 29 reporter Joyce Evans, along with her cameraman Shane, spent a few hours at Yellow Daffodil on June 20th. The Yellow Daffodil staff had a great time interacting with the pair and talking about their roles at the shop and life at Woods. Click here to view the segment!

About Woods

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Health, Wellness & Therapeutics

In an effort to improve communication, daily living skills and educational outcomes for both … Read More >

Vocational & Adult Day Services

We are committed to eliminating barriers and creating possibilities for achievement.   We … Read More >

Learning

Our school programs help students meet educational, emotional, behavioral and medical needs, while … Read More >

Having Fun

We exist to drive greater achievement for the individuals we serve.  Whether living  on our campus, … Read More >

Continuum of Care

We offer our individuals a full continuum of supports through our affiliates and various programs … Read More >

Copyright © 2023 Woods | Routes 413 & 213 | P.O. Box 36 | Langhorne, PA 19047-0036 | Ph: 215.750.4000 | E: communications@woods.org

  • .
  • About Woods
    • Our History
    • The Woods System of Care
    • Meet the Woods Services Leadership
    • Meet the Woods Services Board of Trustees
    • The Woods Clinical Approach
    • News & Events
  • Services
    • Short Term Residential Treatment
    • Health, Wellness, & Therapy
    • Vocational & Adult Day
      • Holland Enrichment Center
      • The Woods Enterprises
      • Yellow Daffodil
      • Common Grounds Café
      • Woods Wear
  • Education
    • An Overview of Education
  • Research Institute
  • Careers
    • Employee Testimonials
    • Benefits of Working at Woods
    • Staff Development
    • Teach with Woods
  • Support Woods
    • Make a Gift to Woods
    • Join the Heart of Woods
    • Give through your Donor Advised Fund
    • Give through EITC
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Honor a Friend or Loved One
  • Admissions
    • Tour Woods
    • Email Admissions
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Admissions Team