by Aaron Martin
Job One returned to Washington, D.C. for SourceAmerica’s 2018 Grassroots Advocacy Conference. This year CEO, Aaron Martin; Katie Howard, Shred One KC employee; Paula Howard (Katie’s mother); and Matt Denton, Operations Manager, Shred One KC, all represented Job One on Capitol Hill.
This amazing, progressive conference brings together a wide variety of individuals across the nation with one goal in mind: advocating for better employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. In this blog post, discover more about one of our favorite organizations and the annual conference they put on.
Who is SourceAmerica?
SourceAmerica is a national nonprofit that creates job opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with significant disabilities. A partner agency for Job One, SourceAmerica provides support for contract management, training, regulatory assistance, workforce development and much more for nonprofits, like Job One, that serves individuals with disabilities.
What is SourceAmerica’s Grassroots Conference?
Representatives from 50 nonprofits in the SourceAmerica network visited the nation’s capital June 12-15 to bring a shared mission of better employment choices for adults with disabilities to Congress. For 20 years, the Grassroots Advocacy Conference has connected self-advocates with disabilities to their representatives and senators to highlight the importance of creating employment opportunities and choices for people with disabilities.
Why is this conference important?
Educating key members of Congress on the critical issues impacting the lives of adults with disabilities is vital as they pass legislation that has serious life-altering consequences for this population. When it comes to increasing awareness of important issues and showing policymakers the real-life impact of programs that benefit individuals with significant disabilities, there is no better messenger than employees with disabilities. This year’s attendees included 56 self-advocates from 52 different nonprofits representing 33 states.
At Job One, we believe strongly in both SourceAmerica’s mission as well as the mission of the Grassroots Conference. By having representation at the Grassroots Advocacy Conference, we are helping the individuals we serve be heard and take a stand for their best interests to live a life where they may reach their full potential.
To learn more about Job One and the employment services we offer, click here.To see some of the images from the trip, visit our Facebook page here.