Federal Funds Awarded NonProfit

Online, October 30, 2009 (Newswire.com) - In December, KRC will be awarded $256,000 in grant funds from the federal government to expand its program to assist individuals with disabilities in vocational training and independent life skills training.

This past spring, the state Department of Rehabilitation notified its members that $11,000,000 in federal stimulus funds were being made available for service provider projects. The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The deadline for the application was August 24th and by September 16th, Kings Rehab was one of 24 service providers that were awarded funds.

"It was an all or nothing application; they had to like our whole plan. We couldn't expect them to fund just a portion they liked," said Carol Rogers, Executive Director.

With these funds, Kings Rehab will be able to reach out to adults they haven't been able to serve in the past.

Traditional clients of Kings Rehab are developmentally disabled and at least 22 years old - those under 22 are considered to be served by the educational system. The grant will allow Kings Rehab to reach out to those with other disabilities and younger ages.

Rogers said, "We are thrilled to offer a program that will lead to more advanced employment opportunities for the disabled. This will especially be advantageous for students in transition, like the 17-22 year-olds."

Susan Acosta, Manager Program Services, added, "I believe the program will benefit the community by offering vocational instruction to people with varying disabilities. We look forward to building new alliances with other agencies to foster improved conditions for the disabled in Kings County."

The Employment Readiness Training Program will involve a detailed assessment of participants to ascertain areas of interest. Once completed an Individual Service Plan will be developed. Participants will then be enrolled in either Occupational Skill Training or Independent Life Skills Training depending on their preferences.

After successfully completing a course, the trainees will receive a Certificate of Completion to demonstrate their expanded job-related experience and training.

Employers currently using Kings Rehabilitation clients include Caltrans, City of Corcoran, International Paper, Kings Area Rural Transit, Kings County, Lemoore Naval Air Station, SEARS, Exopack, Mary Immaculate Queen School, and more.

For more information, contact C.J. Beers at 559.583.5051. You can also visit their Web site at www.KingsRehab.com.