Black Dog Restorations
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CONTENTS
Showcase Magazine
April 2019
Let’ s Connec t @showcaseDVA
Showcase Magazine
showcasedanville @ info@showcasemagazine.com
Features SoBo BrewFest A Brew Lover’s Utopia 10 It’s All About the Details
Inside Black Dog Restorations 12
Also Inside PG.
It’s All About the Details
Inside Black Dog Restorations
12
Every Piece of Furniture Tells a Story MartinsvilleHenry County 22
Also Inside Editor’s Letter
It’s Time to Restore 6
Paws for a Cause
Make Easter a Humane Holiday By Paulette Dean
From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife
Ranch Spinach Dip By Angie Barrett
18
19
Confessions of a 30 Something Taking Care of Our Temple 20
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10
Facts on the Sly
Nine Grams
By Sly Strader Milam
Instagrams From Our Area
18
26
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22
PG.
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showcase
Editor’s Letter
It’s Time to Restore
April 2019
CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com
Spring is a time for transformations. It is also known as the season of the R—rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, reset, restoration, regrowth. I could go on, but it is obvious that spring is an opportunity to shake off the winter doldrums and dive into the new year. If you are anything like me, it is a bit of a double-edged sword. The allergies and weeds that grow at a super villain pace put a slight damper on things. The warmer weather is a nice payoff though.
E d i t o r i al D i r e c t o r Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com
This month we celebrate springtime and restoration. We visit with Jeff Merrill and David Merricks of Black Dog Restorations. It’s awe-inspiring to see the process of taking a classic car that has seen better days restored to its prime as you’ll see in the cover feature.
Advertising Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335
Spring is also the beginning of festival season. Halifax County is gearing up for the second annual SoBo Brew Fest. Halifax County Tourism plans to offer 60 “expertly chosen craft beers,” as well as ciders, live music, and food trucks. SoBo Brew Fest is still in its infancy, but it is soon to be a “can’t miss” event for Halifax County. Martinsville is preparing for Historic Garden Week. MHC Tourism takes us on a tour of Dr. Andrew Gehrken’s home. You can find more info about Garden Week on page 22. Spring is shaping up to be a fun season. I plan to enjoy it to the fullest even if my allergies think otherwise. Musician, Henry Rollins nailed it when he said, “In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.” Let’s all get out there and move. Enjoy the issue.
G r ap h i c D e s i g n e r Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net F i n a n c e M a n ag e r Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com
Ashley Schultz | Marketing Consultant ashley@showcasemagazine.com Customer Service Subscribe to Home Delivery for $24 per year 753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com contriButinG Writers Angie Barrett | Anna Brooks | Paulette Dean Heather Hoffman | Sly Strader Milam | Lee Vogler contriButinG PhotoGraPherS Angie Barrett | Brooke Klauss Halifax County Tourism Martinsville-Henry County Tourism | Lee Vogler Cover Joyce Kelly and her Chevy Belair Hardtop photographed by Brooke Klauss
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Saturday, April 13 10AM-3PM
Enjoy free admission to our garden and children's activities as we celebrate the re-opening of the butterfly station for the season. Learn about plants, life-cycles, habitats, and more! (434) 791-5160 www.facebook.com/DanvilleScienceCenter
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Feature SOBO Brewfest
SoBo Brewfest A Brew Lover’s Utopia By Lee Vogler Photo By Halifax County Tourism
B
rew lovers rejoice! More than 60 craft beers will be on tap for the second annual SoBo Brew Fest, happening at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at Constitution Square, located at 432 Main Street in South Boston. This year’s festival will provide a fun day of sampling expertly chosen craft beers, live music, food trucks and lounging. Building off of last year’s success, organizers hope to create a real opportunity to bring visitors from across the state and neighboring states to Halifax County for this festival. “We are thrilled to offer 60 expertly chosen craft beers that will appeal to the most discerning beer lover to the novice
taster,” says LaTonya Sadler of Halifax County Tourism, who is presenting the event. “Add in two great live bands while being outside in May, and the SoBo BrewFest is the perfect way to spend a Saturday.” In addition to beers from Deschutes, Foothills, Ballast Point, New Belgium, Stone, and Sierra Nevada, among others, the 2019 SoBo Brew Fest will also offer ciders from two cideries. Two live bands will also be on hand to rock Constitution Square. Local favorite Turkey Scratch will open the festival at 2 p.m. The quartet plays rock and Americana in an honest and unpretentious way. Then blues trio, Burn the Batteau, takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. embodying the defining characteristics of East Coast Blues, with a strength and power exclusive to the modern electric power trip. For those who want to dine while they drink and dance, several food trucks will be on site throughout the event. Festival-goers may purchase tickets at three levels—VIP ($45); general admission ($25) or designated driver ($10). Each ticket includes admission to the festival, a commemorative festival glass (while supplies last), access to food trucks and live music. VIP and general admission tickets come with 12 and six tasting tickets, respectively, that can be redeemed for a 3-ounce sample or combining three for a pint of beer. Festival-goers can purchase additional tasting tickets onsite. Tickets are available now at the South Boston-Halifax County Visitor Center or online. Tickets will also be available at the gate at $50 for a VIP ticket and $30 for general admission. Hop heads purchasing the VIP ticket will have access to the festival beginning at 1 p.m. and will enjoy an exclusive craft beer on tap until 2 p.m. The event opens to general admission ticket holders at 2 p.m., and festivities go until 8 p.m. For more information and updates to craft breweries, bands, tickets and food, go to www.gohalifaxva.com/sobobrewfest.
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Feature Black Dog Restorations
It’s All About the Details
Inside Black Dog Restorations By Anna Brooks Photos By Brooke Klauss
I
f a car is truly restored, it requires no one to speak on its behalf. A well-restored car speaks for itself. “It’s all about the details,” says car restorer of thirtytwo years, Jeffrey Merrill. Jeffrey is a passionate, experienced car restorer of Black Dog Restorations. Jeffrey believes that what makes the way in which he restores cars unique is the methodology behind his process. His method is one that is seemingly rare in the car restoration business. His method: keep customers satisfied, restore properly, and ensure durability. Durability is something that Jeffrey and Black Dog restorations prides its name upon. With this method, and with Black Dog restorations, Jeffrey has restored a number of cars all having received honors at national car shows. A number of Jeffrey’s winning restorations have continued to re-take the same national titles ten years after their first victory. Jeffrey recalls the 77’ Black Trans Am he restored that took the title “Best of Show” in May 2008. Ten years later, the same 77’ Black Trans Am re-claimed its title as “Best of Show” in October 2018. Additionally, the 77’ Trans Am restored by Jeffrey is a Trans Am Nationals four-time class winner, an Ames Pontiac Nationals two-time class winner, and a Pontiac Oakland Award two-time Gold Award recipient. It should be noted that a Trans Am is a very popular car, especially at national car shows. These awards speak loudly to Jeffrey’s innate gift and dedication for restoring cars. This is a living testimony of the method for durability that Jeffrey has instilled in Black Dog Restorations and hopes to one day instill in all car restoring establishments world-wide. The owner of the reigning 77’ Black Trans Am is David Merricks, former customer and now partner of Jeffrey Merrill. “The reason that Jeffrey and I work so well together is because we both have an absolute commitment
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to perfection,” says David. Both Jeffrey and David think of car restorations as a hobby rather than a business. To be a car restorer takes a God-given passion for the niche. Jeffrey and David hold similar this trait, this God-given passion for properly restoring cars. The two are working towards implementing a set of standards in the world of car restorations so that all car restorers will be required to hold themselves as accountable for the durability of a restored car as Jeffrey and David do for theirs. As one may gather from David’s dedication to Jeffrey as a car restorer, many of Jeffrey’s customers are equally as dedicated. Pastor Michael Presley and Scott Conley are two of Black Dog Restoration’s customers who praise Jeffrey’s work. Pastor Michael Presley was given a red, worn 52’ Chevrolet pick-up by his late friend. Pastor Michael, being the leader of Jeffrey’s church, knew of Jeffrey’s spotless reputation in car restorations. “When I acquired the 52’ Chevy, I already knew where I was going to have it restored. I was taking it to Jeffrey without question,” states Pastor Michael Presley. The 52’ Chevy was in the worst possible condition. Pastor Michael recalls his truck before Jeffrey’s hands graced it as a “rust bucket.” Most car restorers would turn down a project as seemingly far gone as the 52’ pick up, but Jeffrey saw it as a challenge that he could overcome with his knowledge and methodology. Jeffrey converted the trucks engine from a 6-cylinder straight gear to a V8 automatic. The cab, 4-fender, running boards, and frame are the only things that remain of the original truck. Through fabric work, welding, rust cutting and auto mechanics, Jeffrey reworked every inch of Pastor Michael’s 52’ pick up. “Jeffrey is very conscious of his work. At Black Dog Restorations, not one detail is missed, and nothing is left undone. There is a standard at Black Dog restorations in which imperfections are not to be covered up, but rather they are to be made perfect,” believes Pastor Michael. Continued to Page 16
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Feature Black Dog Restorations
Continued from Page 12
Jeffrey’s final step in all of his work is the polishing of the car. He uses 4,000 grip sandpaper to achieve a smoothness on the car’s body that gives the finishing paint a deep reflection. This is the element of the car restoration that draws the eyes. “You can look straight down the body of the car and the paint has not one imperfection. From this detail, you are ensured that your car was restored with time and dedication,” says Scott Conley, another customer of Black Dog Restorations. Scott Conley is the owner of a 1969 Camaro that was restored by Jeffrey and David of Black Dog Restorations. “Before I even bought my Camaro, I knew that I wanted Black Dog to restore it for me,” Scott states confidently. Scott’s 1969 Camaro was in a weak condition, yet Jeffrey and David transformed it into the award-winning car it is today. To date, the 1969 Camaro has won one Super Chevy Award, two Menard Chevy Awards, and four Best Paint Awards. Winning awards as such goes far deeper than a shiny paint job, but rather it is a result of attention to the intricacies of restoring a car. Black Dog Restorations has such knowledge to foster these intricacies. “They are the one-stop-shop,” says Scott Conley. Jeffrey has a firmly rooted background and knowledge of cars that he brings to the experience at Black Dog
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restorations. His love for cars and their restoration was heavily influenced by his father who was an auto mechanic. One of Jeffrey’s earliest memories is riding around in a 57’ Chevy, at three-years-old, listening to a record player that sat in the floor board. His passion for cars has been undeniable ever since. “Ninety-nine out of one-hundred car restorations that are done today leave the owner of the car unhappy,” states Jeffrey. This is due to a corruption that has entered the world of car restoration. A corruption that has led restorers to prioritize only the exterior appearance of the car for the sake of salary. Jeffrey and Black Dog Restorations have made it their mission to remain honest car restorers nation-wide. This is a quality that Jeffrey hopes to see return in car restorations. Jeffrey is confident that if a Black Dog Restorations car was put beside any other restoration in the world, with both hoods popped, Black Dog Restorations would win for quality, precision, and honest restoration every time. Black Dog Restorations welcomes anyone who is interested in car restorations to visit their location and view the six cars on the lot that were restored ten years ago so that they may see first-hand the quality and durability that Black Dog Restorations ensures in their work. Black Dog Restorations is the honesty and authenticity that remains in car restorations.
Jeff Merrill deserves the credit for the spectacular paint job.� - Joyce Kelly Joyce Kelly and her prized Chevy Belair Hardtop. The car has placed first and second in many shows. The latest was Menard’s Car Show in October 2018. Joyce and her husband, Hugh took first place for Outstanding Paint and Class Winner for the 55 Chevy Class, and won Class Winner for Tri-Five Class.
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Feature Big Bear’s Wife
From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife Ranch Spinach Dip
Written by Angie Barrett of BigBearsWife.com Photo by Angie Barrett
Prep Time: 15M; Total Time: 2H 20M Yield: About 3 Cups Dip INGREDIENTS 12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained very well 16 ounces sour cream 1 cup mayo 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 packet (1 oz) ranch powder 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 carrot, peeled and grated INSTRUCTIONS Toss everything into a large bowl and mix well until everything is combined. Cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine too).
on the Sly
by Sly Strader Milam
Facts
Presentation Idea: Hollow out a purple cabbage and fill center with spinach dip. Place cabbage bowl into a basket or the center of a platter and surround cabbage with Carrots, Red Peppers, Orange Peppers, Radishes, Broccoli, Cauliflower
• April’s birthstone is a diamond and it’s flowers are daisies and sweet pea. • Giraffes have black tongues. Scientists believe that it’s so they don’t get sunburns while they eat. • Apples are made of 25% air, which is why they float. • Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. • The Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare was another April genius, born on April 23, 1564, and died on or about his April birthday at the age of 52 in England in 1616.
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Paws for a Cause
Paws for a Cause When I moved back to Danville after a few years working in Utah, I decided I needed a companion animal. Rather than the parakeet I had planned on, I went home with a small white rabbit.
Written by Paulette Dean Executive Director Danville Humane Society
their own to chew on to protect furniture. Rabbits are sweet creatures and the fact that they are adorable adds to their charm. Sadly, it also leads to problems for them. Each year we receive rabbits that had been given as surprises in Easter baskets. However, we once again emphasize, as we do every year, rabbits are not the appropriate gifts to give children. Young children oftentimes do not understand how fragile these little creatures are. Rabbits have an average lifespan of 8-10 years and cute little bunnies quickly grow into bigger adults. Once the novelty wears off, rabbits are dumped in the woods or parks. The lucky ones are released to animal shelters. If the adults in the house are committed to taking care of a rabbit for its lifetime, including large cages, time outside of the cage, and an appropriate diet, that is wonderful.
My uncle, who had Down’s syndrome, took one look at my new pet, and said, “Harvey.” So, my rabbit was named Harvey in honor of the Jimmy Stewart movie. I loved that little rabbit. He quickly learned his name, and would come when called. He had medical problems and loved to take his daily medicine. I learned that rabbits are far more intelligent than I ever dreamed, and can bond to a human as much as a dog or cat can. I loved him, but his stay with me was relatively short. Harvey’s medical conditions worsened, and his veterinarian eventually recommended euthanasia. My heart was broken, but I appreciate what I learned about rabbits from my little Harvey. Rabbits make wonderful indoor companions and can be litter-box trained. They are full of curiosity and are quite social towards humans and even other species of animals. They like to play with toys and need things of
Meet Sir Plays-a-Lot
In all other cases, we urge people to help make Easter a humane holiday by buying only a stuffed rabbit or a chocolate one.
This big boy is only three months old. He is a Rottweiler/ shepherd mix; when he grows up he will need a big couch, not a little lap, to cuddle in!
Danville Humane Society
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Confessions of a 30 something
Confessions of a 30 Something
Taking Care of Our Temple Written by Lee Vogler Photo By Lee Vogler
Here’s a public service announcement: drinking an abundance of energy drinks and not enough water, along with too much protein in the diet, and then taking overthe-counter sleeping pills each day is not good for your body. This probably seems like common sense to most, but for me, being stubborn like I am, I had to find out the hard way. How did I get here? For as long as I can remember, I’ve had trouble going to sleep at night. Those that know me, know I’m a talker. I’m high-energy. So even when I’m physically tired at night, my mind keeps chugging along like a freight train. I have this issue with or without caffeine. I’ve enjoyed, however, drinking a Dr. Pepper from time to time and somewhere along the way, I was introduced to this wonderful man-made concoction called an energy drink. Energy drinks have been around for years, but it seems they really hit their stride, in terms of taste, in the last
few years. Now I could not only drink one of these bad boys and feel like I could run the Boston Marathon, but I actually enjoyed the taste too. Perfection! Adding to all of this fun was my insistence on playing softball 7 months out of the year and thinking I can still go day in and day out like I did as a baseball player at 18-years old. Some of my more muscular friends had told me that a diet high in protein is what I needed to be lean, and mean, on the field. Sure, why not? So, all of this put me in a daily cycle of staying up too late, taking a Benadryl to go to sleep, waking up exhausted, drinking an energy drink, basically eating nothing but protein, drinking another energy drink, then being way too wired to go to sleep, taking a Benadryl and doing it all over again the next day. Rinse. Wash. Repeat. Eventually my body threw in the towel. In response to this, I went from one extreme to the other. All of a sudden, I drank no caffeine. Just water. I hardly ate any protein, and I didn’t take anything at night to sleep. So, then I spent about a week dealing with various type of withdrawals from going cold turkey on things I had been putting into my body for years. So, what am I doing now? I walk every day. I pray and meditate every day. I’m drinking more water, but I still work some caffeine in there. My diet is more balanced. And I started taking melatonin in the evening to sleep. It works for me. I feel better than I have in a long time. As I mentioned in last month’s column, I’m not a health or fitness guru by any means, despite being a fairly regular participant in yoga classes. What I am, however, is someone who is finding out what works best for me. And that may be completely different from what works best for you. That’s ok. What’s important is that we listen to what our bodies are telling us. It’s the only one we have. Let’s take good care of it.
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Explore Martinsville
Every Piece of Furniture Tells a Story Written by Heather Hoffman Photos Provided By VisitMartinsville
To some people, the furniture in Dr. Andrew Gehrken’s home might look like pieces of dark wood.
the fire, a friend counseled buying antiques, which would be more likely to hold or even appreciate in value.
Most pieces date to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were made in Eastern and Piedmont Virginia and North Carolina during a time when this land was transforming through revolution from a backwater colony of a faraway kingdom into an independent nation that would become a beacon of self-governance for the world.
Gehrken sought guidance from experts such as Mike Tuccori, then at the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts; and John Bivens and Wallace Gusler, experts in North Carolina and Virginia furniture, respectively.
These wooden echoes of America’s beginnings fill the red brick Georgian on Dan Lee Terrace in Martinsville where Gehrken lives with his wife Anna. Their home is one of three that will open to visitors on Martinsville-Henry County Garden Day, May 1. Andy Gehrken’s antique collection became an avocation, one in which Anna Gehrken, with a background in design in the furniture and fabrics industry, joined him. In a sense, Andy Gehrken’s avocation came from his mother. She loved antiques and often took him with her on her hunts. Oddly enough, it was a house fire in 1987 that re-awakened his dormant interest. When contemplating replacing things lost in
Gehrken has spent the intervening three decades since the fire looking for treasures and refining his collection of finds. Some pieces might well be museum-worthy. While to some, these furnishings might look like “pieces of dark wood,” in Gehrken’s words, to him each is “almost a living thing. It tells a story of its own.” The story is, in part, that of the person who made the piece. In those days before mass production, furnishings were highly valued, hard to come by and often passed down from generation to generation. Antiques also tell the stories of their owners. For those intrigued by such things, a piece can open a window onto another time. And what a pivotal period of time. Gehrken gravitates to furniture made when this land was being settled. Many who risked their lives to get here left homelands with little potential for escaping the Old World’s strictures of birth and religion. For some, the then-New World offered the possibility of rising by dint of hard work and perseverance. It was the Age of Enlightenment. The movement emphasized reason, liberty, individualism and the scientific method, which led, as Gehrken says, to the democratization of knowledge and upward mobility. In design, the Enlightenment made its influence felt as furniture makers turned away from the opulence of often ornate styles favored by autocrats who embodied the antithesis of democracy. The furniture Gehrken collects was influenced by the functional yet appealing “neat and plain aesthetic.” Gehrken gravitates to more formal examples of the style.
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“I can’t take much credit for it,” Andy Gehrken says. He gives it up for “my decorator,” who is also their landscape maven. Take the couple’s dining room as an example of their melded style. The walls feature a hand-painted mural by North Carolina artist Dana Holliday. Scenes depict the Blue Ridge Mountains and some of the family’s favorite places. The room’s highlights also include a Piedmont Virginia cellarette, an Orange County corner cupboard and a special set of chairs slip-covered in linen damask according to 18th-century practice. Although the Gehrken home offers many examples of colonial and early American style, Andy Gehrken says, “It is not a house museum.” Indeed, it marries the contemporary, such as his daughter Greer’s artwork, with the old. And Anna Gehrken’s daughter Liza’s room is furnished in Anna Gehrken’s family heirlooms rather than the couple’s collected antiques. Andy Gehrken looks back and sees that “good things can come from bad,” such as a life-enriching appreciation for antiques revived after a house fire. In a way, it echoes the birth of the Enlightenment out of autocracy.
Fun fact: The Gehrken home is part of a three-house compound built by members of the Globman family, owners of Globman’s Department Store, once Martinsville’s shopping mecca.
411 What: Martinsville-Henry County Garden Day When: Wednesday, May 1, 2019 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Headquarters: Martinsville-Henry County Visitors Center, 191 Fayette St., Martinsville Tickets: $15 pp./advance; $20 pp./tour day. $10 pp./children ages 6-12. Advance tickets: www.vagardenweek.org. Locally at Martinsville-Henry County Visitor Center, Piedmont Arts Association, Historic Henry County Courthouse, and the Martinsville Henry County and Patrick County Chambers of Commerce. Tour day tickets: Martinsville-Henry County Visitor Center and tour homes. Facebook: Historic Garden Week in Martinsville and Henry County Instagram: Historic Garden Week in MHC Organizers: The Martinsville Garden Club, The Garden Study Club and the Garden Club of Virginia
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Sponsored Content The ARc of Southside
Creating an Inclusive Workforce through Supported Employment
A
s of January 2019, Danville’s unemployment rate is 4.9%. Although this is higher than the national and state average, it can still be difficult for companies to find the right employee, for the right job. The time it takes to recruit and screen new employees can be a daunting task for companies, which is why many businesses look to hiring agencies to tackle their hiring needs. In 2012, The Arc of Southside began the Supported Employment Program. During this time, The Arc of Southside not only helped people with intellectual and developmental disabilities obtain jobs but we also became a resource for companies seeking to hire people that want to work hard and are committed. Since that time, we have had nearly 70 people with disabilities in the Danville Pittsylvania County area that have been supported in obtaining competitive jobs benefiting businesses in the local community. Businesses continue to report that finding people who are motivated, ready to work, and will show up on time, are among the biggest hurdles they face when seeking new employees. That is why many businesses are turning to Supported Employment to meet the hiring needs of their company. People with disabilities are an Untapped Labor Force just waiting for the right opportunity. In Virginia, there are over 250,000 people with a developmental disability, and they experience double the unemployment rate of people without disabilities. However, while working age adults with disabilities are unemployed, or underemployed at higher rates, studies consistently prove that they perform well in the workplace. The majority of people with disabilities report that they want to work, answering the problem of motivation that many employers face. Studies done by the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the Department of Labor report that people with disabilities 1) have a higher retention rate (85% after one year of work), 2) are longer term employees with lower turnover rates, and 3) often perform equally, or exceed the work of their non-disabled peers. Because of these reasons, the benefits to businesses hiring people with disabilities are significant, but the benefit to the person they hire is even greater. 24 Showcase Magazine |
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Steve Berger began with The Arc of Southside working at our Sheltered Workshop and worked there for over 20 years. When we started the Supported Employment Program, Steve was one of the first people to show interest in getting a job in his community. In November of 2014, Steve applied for a job at the Food Lion at Ballou Park. Food Lion pulled his application and asked him to come in for an interview. Steve was hired for the position a few days later. Since Steve was hired in 2014, he has not missed one day of work. He has made many friends and his managers and coworkers all love having him there. Having this job has given Steve the independence to move into his own apartment and buy a moped so he can make it to work each day. Steve also serves on The Arc of Southside’s Board of Directors and was the recipient of The Employer of the Year Award at The Arc’s Annual Membership Meeting. When you ask Steve about his job, he begins smiling and says how much he loves it at Food Lion. For Food Lion, they have hired 6 more employees from The Arc. Leon Sadler , Food Lion Manager said, “ Steve is an asset to our company and he is a very dependable associate. He always comes in with a great attitude and is willing to help and do what is asked of him. Steve takes pride in his work and he wants to do a good job.” To learn more about how your business can benefit from Supported Employment, contact David Gusler at 434.836.3272 or dgusler@ thearcofsouthside.org
For More Information on The Arc of Southside call 434.836.3272.
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