Melwood

Summer camp is the place you go to find yourself, learn who you are, meet and make friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime. For any child, the experience of summer camp can be unique and profound. But for children who traditionally face barriers, including those with disabilities and chronic health conditions, summer camp can be transformative. For more than 25 years, Melwood has provided this kind of life-changing experience for children with and without disabilities at Camp Accomplish, located in Southern Maryland. This year, thanks to an innovative new collaboration with Children's National Hospital, we were able to expand the summer camp experience to children with chronic health conditions as well. Helping even more children and teens build resilience, increase their self confidence, and experience the magic of summer camp is not something we can do alone. That's why we are so grateful to all those who participated in our 5th annual Melwood Champion's Golf Tournament earlier this week, hosted at the Country Club at Woodmore. We especially want to thank Lockton, our first-ever event technology sponsor. Proceeds from this tournament go directly to fund Camp Accomplish, a place where we are all able to grow.

Melwood proudly joined the CEO Commission for Disability Employment for their Hill day yesterday advocating for policies that enhance workplace equity and workforce development for people with disabilities. Leading the way with policy, practice, and culture, the CEO commission seeks to leverage the leadership of organizations to advance opportunity and ensure that everyone understands the value of an inclusive company culture. #DisabilityEmployment #Disability

Today at the CEO Commission for Disability Employment Summit, Melwood President & CEO Larysa K. moderated an important panel discussion with Taryn Mackenzie Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy and leader of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP. Together, they discussed the role of ODEP in shaping disability employment policy, the tools and resources available to employers, entrepreneurship among people with disabilities, and the role of AI, ensuring that people with disabilities are included in AI-related work. #DisabilityWorks #Disability #DisabilityEmployment

Melwood is proud to partner with Enabled Intelligence, Inc on a Geospatial Data Labeling Bootcamp designed to create career pathways for people with disabilities in the IT, tech and cyber security sectors. This collaboration?is bridging massive gaps in the IT and technical workforce by creating a steady pipeline of qualified talent, while also acting as a national model for hiring and training a neurodiverse workforce. Have strong computer skills and an interest in working in IT & Tech? Apply today using the link below and a Melwood team member will reach out to begin the screening process. https://lnkd.in/eh_gN8R #ITandTechCareers #AbilIT #DisabilityEmployment

Thank you to all of our sponsors and golfers who are scheduled to tee off at 9 a.m. on September 24th at The Country Club at Woodmore! There is still time to join in on the fun. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Learn more about our sponsorship packages today! https://lnkd.in/dFX4vX8

This Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, Melwood is honoring the DSPs who make our mission possible by sharing more of their stories and the work they do. DSPs, like Henry, work on the frontlines to ensure the people we support are not just living — but thriving!. DSPs can be found throughout the community where people with disabilities live and work. In addition to the title of Direct Support Professional, they are Job Developers, Drivers and Van Aides, EDS Instructors, Workforce Specialists, Behavioral Specialists, Program Specialists and Assistants, Vocational Support Services Staff, Retention Counselors, Advocate Counselors, and Coordinators. DSPs are vital the Melwood’s mission. It is because of their work that we are all able to move closer to our shared goal of a world in which people with disabilities are fully included. Join us in celebrating annual DSP Recognition Week, which begins on September 9th?and concludes on the 13th.

You may know Melwood as an organization that provides resources, support and career development, job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. But did you know we also empower people with disabilities to advocate for themselves -- at school, at work, in the community, and even in the halls of Congress? That's exactly what Antjuan Bridgers is doing today. Antjuan has been a dedicated Melwood employee since 2010. He started with Melwood as a custodian in the AbilityOne program. When his strong drive and talent for mentorship were recognized, he was quickly promoted. Antjuan now serves as a foreman overseeing the custodial operations of 12 buildings--yet he still takes the time to invest in and support his colleagues in meaningful and impactful ways. Some of the people Antjuan has mentored have become lead workers and foremen themselves. Yesterday and today, via SourceAmerica's Grassroots Advocacy Conference, Antjuan is telling his story and advocating for himself and all of his colleagues who have found success, stability, dignity and independence through workplace opportunities. #DisabilityEmployment #DisabilityWorks #SourceAmerica #AbilityOne #DisabilityPride

Thanks to an old, outdated law from the 1930s, it is legal to pay people with disabilities wages that fall well below the federal minimum. In some cases, people with disabilities are paid as little as $1 an hour for work they perform. We applaud The Washington Post and disability reporter Amanda Morris for shining a spotlight on this issue and telling the stories of disabled workers subjected to subminimum wages under 14(c) of the National Labor Relations Act--and for sharing Melwood's story via The Post Reports Podcast. Melwood voluntarily phased out our 14(c) certificate 10 years ago. Doing so made us a better organization, a better employer, and a better community partner. Taking this path has led to greater innovation, higher employee and company morale, and an individualized, yet highly successful approach to career exploration, development and on-the-job success for the people we serve. Since phasing out our 14(c) certificate, Melwood has advocated for the end of this practice at the state and federal level, and has and continues to help other non-profits that support people with disabilities do the same. Listen to Amanda's reporting here, or where ever you get your podcasts! https://lnkd.in/eqw-HdYw

For more than 60 years, Melwood has been making a bold impact in our community, directly empowering and supporting people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive as they choose. The progress we have made and the barriers we have broken would not be possible without the dedication of highly skilled, highly trained Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). DSPs, including those who work in community-supported employment, make it possible for the people we support to participate fully in their communities and to succeed in competitive employment. DSPs knock down barriers to new opportunities, futures, and pathways that lead to independent living and meaningful work. It is because of the work of DSPs that we are all able to move closer to our shared goal of a world in which people with disabilities are fully included. Join us in celebrating the annual DSP Recognition Week, which begins on September 9th?and concludes on the 13th, and check in again here where we will continue to highlight the incredible work of these dedicated, hardworking professionals. #DSPRecognitionWeek #DirectSupportProfessional

Melwood wishes all of our employees a happy and safe Labor Day. As an organization that exists to create pathways to economic independence for people with disabilities,?Labor?Day?is especially relevant to Melwood’s mission.?We understand what the dignity of work means. We know the lifechanging power a job can make in somebody’s life. And we believe that everyone should be afforded the right to join the workforce, earn a living wage, and make contributions that make life better for all of us. We are so proud of the work our employees do each and every day. #LaborDay #Employment #DisabilityEmployment