FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
John Miller, Vice President, (717) 763-0968; or email John.Miller@ahedd.org
AHEDD CELEBRATES 25TH
ANNIVERSARY
CONDUCTING SPECIALIZED EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
On August 8, 2002, AHEDD, celebrated its 25th Anniversary
with a dinner and awards banquet at the Holiday Inn located in
Mechanicsburg PA. The agency also held a breakfast meeting
with invited guests and members of the business community. Present
at the breakfast meeting were PA State Representative Patricia Vance,
Joseph Marsicano of Senator Hal Mowery's office, and guest speaker George
Grody, Executive Vice President, Government Business and Corporate
Affairs for Pennsylvania Blue Shield (a Highmark Company). Mr. Grody
also received an award on behalf of Highmark honoring the company for its
efforts in promoting and hiring individuals with disabilities.
The breakfast meeting also recognized Mr. Steve
Nasuti, Executive Director of the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
which was honored by AHEDD with a Partnership Recognition Award for their
many years of cooperation in securing competitive jobs for people with
disabilities.
The Pennsylvania based organization was incorporated
as a non-profit agency on September
9, 1977 and opened its first office in Lemoyne, PA.
“I am pleased and proud to say that our staff have assisted
thousands of individuals with disabilities with their employment needs,”
said Rocco Cambria, President
of the now Camp Hill based organization.
One of the first and yet few free standing
organizations focused entirely on employment services to individuals with
a disability, AHEDD has led the charge in bringing about changes that
promote greater employment opportunities for people with disabilities who
want to work.
AHEDD has branch offices and field staff working throughout
Pennsylvania and Delaware. “A
lot of advancements have occurred in the employment landscape for people
with disabilities in the last 25 years, yet 75% of adults with severe
disabilities are still unemployed”, noted Cambria.
"Today there is no justification for saying that a person with a disability
cannot do a job or work in the competitive work environment. At AHEDD, we believe that the best place to train for a
job is on the job, and the responsibility for a person learning a job
rests on the shoulders of our staff to train”, added Cambria. It
is apparent that this positive approach has contributed to the success of
the organization. Each year, the
organization places over 400 individuals into competitive employment.
“Work says a good deal about who we are and helps to shape many
of our social connections,” indicates Cambria.
He adds, “Given a choice, most people with a disability would
choose to work.” During the
last few years, a good deal of AHEDD’s efforts have been directed
towards youth with disabilities, as the organization has partnered with special
education programs statewide in assisting youth in their transition to
life as adults in the community.
A good deal of AHEDD’s success is based on
cultivating a positive working relationship with the business community.
To that end, AHEDD has been selected to administer the Pennsylvania
Business Leadership Network,
a business to business program creating forums to communicate and promote
the employment of persons with disabilities.
Most recently AHEDD was selected by the Social
Security Administration to provide Benefits Counseling about work
incentives to individuals in 27 counties of Western PA through a mobile
workforce of certified benefits counselors.
“This is the cutting edge of services targeted at assisting
individuals with disabilities to overcome financial and health care
barriers in their goal to achieve employment” noted John Miller, AHEDD's
Vice President.
The myriad of benefits and how they are applied can be a tremendous
disincentive to individuals who want to work.”
People on disability benefits are concerned about how work might
impact the financial and medical benefits they receive from the Social
Security Administration. “Our
team of highly trained and certified professionals help individuals make
decisions regarding employment with confidence”, noted Miller.
AHEDD
Service Areas – by County
Community Employment (Job Placement & Training)
Pennsylvania:
Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin,
Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery,
Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, and York
Delaware:
Kent, New Castle, Sussex
Benefits Counseling
Pennsylvania:
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler,
Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton,
Greene, Huntington, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer,
Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PENNSYLVANIA BLUE SHIELD, A
HIGHMARK COMPANY, CONTINUES STRONG TRADITION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
NEWS
RELEASE
August 29, 2002
For Immediate Release
Camp Hill, Pa (August 29) – Pennsylvania Blue Shield has
recently been recognized by three major community service organizations
for its contributions to the central Pennsylvania region.
The three organizations are the American Red Cross of the
Susquehanna Valley, AHEDD, and National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Coalition.
“It is always very gratifying to be acknowledged for our efforts to make
the community stronger,” explained George Grode, executive vice
president of government business and corporate affairs for Pennsylvania
Blue Shield. “We know how
important it is to be a positive force in the community…and we encourage
our employees to do the same.”
The American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter will honor
Pennsylvania Blue Shield as its Corporate Philanthropist of the Year at
ceremonies next month. “When our chapter leadership sat down to look at the
candidates, it became very clear that Blue Shield has a long and
established record of giving to our organization.
Not only have they been a faithful supporter, but they have
actively participated in our organization,” explained Angela Dearolf,
public relations specialist for the Red Cross.
“Without support from companies like Pennsylvania Blue Shield it
would be nearly impossible to fulfill our mission.”
The Susquehanna Valley Chapter serves Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata,
Lancaster, Mifflin, and Perry counties.
Earlier this month Pennsylvania Blue Shield was honored by AHEDD
for its commitment to employing and accommodating people with a
disability. “Pennsylvania Blue Shield is truly devoted to creating
opportunities for employees with a disability and they recognize that by
doing so they create a diverse workforce,” says Stacy Liddick, program
specialist with AHEDD. AHEDD
is the administrator for the Pennsylvania Business Leadership Network, a
business-to-business program creating forums to communicate and promote
the employment of persons with disabilities.
“We realize that it also
makes good business sense to participate with AHEDD and the Business
Leadership Network. We can
share our experience with other employers, and it enhances our ability to
fill job openings in a competitive marketplace,” explained Grode.
Also, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
(HMHB)
recently honored Pennsylvania Blue Shield for its support of mothers and
families. “As we learned
more about Pennsylvania Blue Shield, we soon realized that this company
has devoted the resources necessary to support mothers and children and
truly show it values its employees,” said Judy Meehan, director of
development for HMHB. HMHB is
a national organization based in Virginia and promotes optimal health for mom and baby and works to strengthen families and
build healthy communities.
“I want to thank all of these organizations for these honors.
Here at Pennsylvania Blue Shield we take a great deal of pride with
this kind of recognition,” said Grode.
In fact, Blue Shield has numerous other programs that help makes
our communities strong. Below
are some recent examples, although there are many more:
·
Elementary school homework planners with
messages of health, nutrition and physical activity. This program focuses on the issues of obesity and inactivity
with 16 local schools districts, to reaching children by targeting the
entire school population and not singling out overweight or obese
children.
·
A Chain of Hope fundraiser
that donated $7,000 to the United Way of the Capital Region. During all of last year, Pennsylvania Blue Shield employees
donated $530,000 to the United Way.
·
The Highmark
Foundation made a $500,000 grant to Susan P. Byrnes Health Education
Center in York. In part the
money will be used for construction
of a "cyber-center" at the Center to house a cyber
classroom/studio, as well as secure the equipment infrastructure necessary
to deliver effective distance learning programs.
For more information about
Pennsylvania Blue Shield please visit www.pablueshield.com.
Pennsylvania Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
John Miller, Project Director (717) 763-0968 ;
john.miller@ahedd.org
Website:
www.ahedd.org
SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS BENEFITS
COUNSELING
GRANT TO AHEDD
SSA Benefits Counseling Available in Western PA
CAMP
HILL, PA (January 27, 2003) -- AHEDD, a leader in the
employment of persons with disabilities, has received a continuation
grant from the Social Security Administration for
$325,787. This
represents a series of awards provided to private and public agencies
nationally under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act
(TWWIIA). Through a variety of interrelated initiatives, TWWIIA is
intended to promote greater participation in the workforce by providing
education to beneficiaries and reducing barriers to work
In
Pennsylvania there are approximately 500,000 working aged adults with
disabilities who rely on SSA for their income and health care support in
lieu of employment. AHEDD
is responsible for providing community education and individual benefits
counseling to beneficiaries in 27 counties in Central and Western
Pennsylvania including: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair,
Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest,
Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean,
Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland
counties.
Using
a regional network of Work Incentive Coordinators (WIC), AHEDD will
collaborate with SSA, Department of Public Welfare, vocational
rehabilitation, PA CareerLink centers, and other community-based
agencies to promote and facilitate benefits planning and counseling for
beneficiaries who are considering employment.
According to AHEDD’s Project Director, John Miller, “People
are frequently discouraged from work because SSA insurance regulations
are complicated and specialized counseling has previously not been
available. Beneficiaries
will find this service easy to access, with trained staff, one-on-one
benefits counseling and follow-up.”
AHEDD
is a private, non-profit company established in 1977.
AHEDD serves the community by partnering with business and people
with disabilities through a field office network throughout Pennsylvania
and Delaware.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Rocco Cambria, President (717) 763-0968; or email rocco.cambria@ahedd.org
AHEDD AWARDED CONTRACT TO PROVIDE
SERVICES
IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Camp Hill, PA
(March 24, 2002) -
AHEDD announced today that the organization
will be expanding its employment services program into Schuylkill County.
Rocco Cambria - President of AHEDD, reported that the organization
has received word that a proposal the organization submitted to the County
Mental Health & Mental Retardation Program office had been approved by the Schuylkill County Commissioners.
The organization responded to Schuylkill
County’s Request For Proposals (RFP) to provide employment services to
participants of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Program. Approval of AHEDD’s proposal was reviewed and recommended by a
Stakeholder Committee formed by the County to oversee the selection
process.
With the approval of the County, AHEDD will be
establishing a field office in Pottsville area beginning in April, 2002. The organization plans to provide employment opportunities to
26 individuals by June 30th 2003.
The organization also invites individuals and family members who are
interested in employment services, to contact AHEDD’s central office toll free by
calling 866-90AHEDD for
breaking news and updates on startup operations.
AHEDD is a private non-profit organization founded
in 1977, that provides employment services to individuals with
disabilities and the business community.
The organization provides employment services in 26 counties throughout the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Delaware.
AHEDD’s mission is to serve the community as a
catalyst in the employment and development of persons with disabilities.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
John Miller, Vice President (717) 763-0968 ; john.miller@ahedd.org
SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS BENEFITS COUNSELING GRANT TO AHEDD
Benefits
Counseling Available in Western PA effective January 1, 2002
CAMP HILL, PA (January 15, 2002) --
AHEDD, a leader in the employment of persons with disabilities,
has received a grant from the Social Security Administration (SSA)
for
$324,000 to promote greater participation in the workforce by
providing education and individualized analysis to individuals
with disabilities about the impact of employment on their SSA
benefits. It has been suggested that a lack of information and
misunderstanding has been one of the primary barriers to
employment for this group. This
award, Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach, is among a
series of awards provided to private and public agencies
nationally under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act.
In
Pennsylvania there are over 450,000 working aged adults with
disabilities who rely on SSA for their income and health care
support in lieu of employment.
AHEDD is responsible for providing community education and
individual benefits counseling to beneficiaries in 27 counties in
Central and Western Pennsylvania, including: Allegheny, Armstrong,
Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion,
Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon,
Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango,
Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
Using
a regional network of trained and certified Work Incentive
Coordinators, AHEDD has been collaborating with SSA, Department of
Public Welfare, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and other
community-based agencies to promote and facilitate benefits
planning and counseling for beneficiaries who are considering
employment. During
the prior start-up year, AHEDD served 315 of the total 575
individuals served in PA. The program is targeted to individuals who receive
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI); between the ages of 14-64; and who
want to learn how work affects their SSA and related benefits.
Of persons served, 42% were already in the workforce, and
another 47% were actively seeking employment.
AHEDD
is a private, non-profit organization established in 1977.
The organization serves the community by partnering with
business and people with disabilities throughout Pennsylvania and
Delaware.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Rocco Cambria, President (717) 763-0968 ; rocco.cambria@ahedd.org
AHEDD
Receives $5,000 Grant from Mechanicsburg Area Foundation
CAMP HILL, PA (November 13, 2001) --
AHEDD was the recipient of a $5,000 grant award from the
Mechanicsburg Area Foundation. The foundation presented the check to AHEDD at a breakfast
meeting on November 13, 2001.
AHEDD provides community employment services to businesses
and to individuals with disabilities.
The grant funds will be used to provide school to work
transition services to students with disabilities enrolled in
Mechanicsburg High School.
Rebecca Richeson, Employment Coordinator with
AHEDD’s School to Work Program, is responsible for services to
youth throughout the Greater Harrisburg Area.
“This is not the first time AHEDD and Mechanicsburg High
School have worked together to assist special needs youth”,
noted Rocco Cambria, AHEDD’s President. “The two programs have been collaborating since 1997 and
have helped nine (9) students to find and retain competitive jobs
in the community,” said Cambria.
With the Mechanicsburg Area Foundation’s grant, AHEDD
will provide focused employment services to students, staff and
local businesses in the Mechanicsburg area. Working together, the two programs will be able to serve an
additional 4 to 8 students; assisting them in finding jobs,
providing on-site Job Coaching, and Follow-Up support services to
help them in retaining their employment long after graduation.
The Mechanicsburg Area Foundation is a
regional component of the Greater Harrisburg Foundation.
The Foundation provides people with a vehicle for making
charitable gifts through a community endowment especially for the
benefit of Mechanicsburg area residents.
For more information on AHEDD’s School to
Work program, contact AHEDD at inforequest@ahedd.org
or the Employment Coordinator, Rebecca Richeson at rebecca.richeson@ahedd.org
. For more
information on AHEDD, visit their web site at www.ahedd.org
.