Congressman Joe Walsh Wants Government To Support Countryside Association

Online, February 7, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Newly-elected Congressman Joe Walsh (8th Congressional District) toured Countryside Association for People with Disabilities' Palatine Work and Training Center early last week.

On his tour, Congressman Walsh learned about the services Countryside provides to over 170 people with disabilities each day and the Palatine Campus location and met with dozens of program participants, staff members, parents of individuals served, and board members. His visit also included an engaging roundtable discussion on disability issues, prompting him to ultimately declare his support of the organization's vision. The Congressman said that "agencies like Countryside are the kinds of programs I want my government supporting." This statement was very well-received by Larry & Joellen Hoeser, parents to Joey (age 25), who is diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome and has been attending Countryside since 2008. They told the Congressman that Countryside is a perfect fit for their son. "He just blossomed, like a flower. His production rate got better. He's so proud of himself. He'd come home and say, 'Good job at Countryside today!' You can see it in his posture that he feels good because he's going to work like everyone else and earning a paycheck."

According to Wayne Kulick, Countryside Executive Director, Countryside Association has been a consistent provider of effective employment support services for vulnerable populations for many years. "We are pleased that the Congressman values our services and seems to understand that our nation's efforts to get people back to work should also include people with disabilities", Kulick said.