jews d
in
the
Working Partners
Grant aids JVS job program
for people with disabilities.
T
he Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan,
through the Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable
Foundation Endowment Fund, has awarded JVS a
$36,400 grant for Pathways to Careers, which helps people with
disabilities develop work skills and gain employment in the
community. JVS is seeking employers to participate.
JVS will use the grant to fund a payroll tax adjustment for any
employer who hires a participant in the Pathways program. The
employer can then apply the savings from lower payroll taxes to
offset the cost of support, tools or special equipment that might
be needed to help the individual succeed in the workplace.
“We are very excited about the
award and hope this is a step-
pingstone to expanding the pro-
gram,” said Jim Willis, vice presi-
dent of Workforce Development
at JVS. “We want to grow this
impactful program in Michigan.”
This award is the first to
specifically fund the payroll tax
adjustment for participating
employers in the Detroit area.
“This grant provides confirma-
tion of the appeal of the payroll
tax adjustment to employers,”
Willis said. “It reinforces that
employers are willing to engage
with individuals with disabilities
looking for work through inno-
vative programs like Pathways to
Careers.”
ABOVE: Antonio Anderson, JVS Pathways to
Pathways interns undergo an
Careers participant,and Ashton Grobbel, director of
extensive discovery process to
business development for Action Wood 360˚.
identify their skills, interests and
abilities. Individuals are then
matched with employers for 8- to
12-week internships at no cost to the employer. If all goes well,
the internship may lead to a job offer.
That’s what happened with Antonio Anderson of New
Baltimore. Anderson desired hands-on work where he could
see a finished product. Through Pathways, JVS found a good
match at Action Wood 3600, a Clinton Township custom wood
manufacturing business that specializes in custom shipping
containers.
“Action Wood 3600 fully supports minority and disabled
workers,” said Ashton Grobbel, director of business develop-
ment. “My father, Chris Grobbel, who started this business,
is disabled. We thought it would be great to give Antonio an
opportunity to see what he could do because sometimes these
diamonds in the rough are hard to find. And sure enough, we
got one.”
Anderson is appreciative of the support from the JVS
Pathways staff. “They taught me how to have a job, respect
the job and be good at it,” he said. “At the end of my internship,
everybody was there. They were like, ‘Congratulations, you
got the job.’ It felt good, like I had completed something and it
wasn’t easy — it was hard.”
JVS is one of four agencies in the country to receive funding
from SourceAmerica to implement Pathways, which is based
upon a successful model launched seven years ago in Utah.
Employers interested in learning more can contact Bill
Hielscher at (248) 795-8943 or whielscher@jvsdet.org. •
Budapest Festival
Orchestra
Iván Fischer, conductor
Richard Goode, piano
UMS Choral Union
Laura Aikin, soprano
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Robert Dean Smith, tenor
Matthew Rose, bass
Friday, February 10 // 8 pm
Hill Auditorium
“It’s hard to think of an orchestra that can stir greater thrills than the
Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer,” wrote the New York
Classical Review. Pianist Richard Goode joins the Budapest Festival
Orchestra for this all-Beethoven program after performing the
complete Beethoven Piano Concertos with the ensemble in a “truly
revolutionary” recording. (New Yorker) The concert also features the
UMS Choral Union in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
A Prelude Dinner, sponsored by Journeys International, precedes the
performance. Reservations: 734.764.8489
PROGRAM
Beethoven
Beethoven
Beethoven
Symphony No.1 in C Major, Op.21
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Symphony No. 9 in d minor, Op. 125
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNERS
Karl V. Hauser and
Ilene H. Forsyth Choral
Union Endowment Fund
WGTE 91.3 FM
WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sesi Motors
Jim Toy, honoring the
distinguished service of U-M
Regent Laurence B. Deitch
ums.org
734.764.2538
UNIVERSIT Y OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR
2115590
28
January 26 • 2017
jn