Whole Life Service Marks 2 Decades of Service
HERMITAGE, Pa. — Whole Life Services, a service provider or adults with intellectual and development disabilities, celebrated its 20th anniversary this month, hosting a dinner at Avalon Golf and Country Club at Buhl Park.
The recognition event honored 19 businesses and organizations for their employment of people with disabilities and community engagement.
“We are honoring them as ‘Inclusion Champions’ because they involve people with disabilities in their programs, have them participate as volunteers, or provide them with job opportunities,” said Cindy Vogan, CEO of Whole Life Services. “By engaging and employing people with disabilities, these businesses are building valuable relationships that benefit everyone in the community.”
Vogan said as a service provider, she wanted to recognize those in the community who show support to those with disabilities and was especially excited to honor this years Inclusion Champions as a part of the celebration.
Those who received Whole Life’s Inclusion Champions Community Engagement awards included: Buhl Club, Buhl Park, Community Food Warehouse, Cornerhouse Christian Food Pantry, DK Studio, Fresh Grounds, Laurel Technical Institute, Prince of Peace, Robert Lark of Mercer County Historical Society, Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce and Tails of Hope.
Recipients of the Inclusion Champions Employment awards include Black Out Burger, Burger King, Fabian Cleaning, Glancy’s Lawn Care, SBDC, Toss’d, and Weber Catering. Staff members, Martin Clark and Marta Gill, were also recognized for their years of work at Whole Life Services.
Whole Life Services opened in September 2001, with three staff members and one patient. It has grown into a multimillion dollar enterprise with 115 staff members and offering services to 100 adults.
Whole Life supportsa variety of small businesses that offer employment to those intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among these businesses aree Studio C, CustomTees, It’Sweet, Get2Work Productions, The Whole Shebang and FabLab.
Additionally, Whole Life has opened a greenhouse to cultivate fresh produce, plants and flowers for sale, in collaboration with the culinary program operated by Laurel Technical Institute.
Pictured: State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Pa., presents a certificate of recognition to Whole Life Services CEO Cindy Vogan.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
