United Way Wednesday
This Week's Featured UWCCMC Funded Agency: TAC - Fresh Abilities
TAC - The Abilities Connection creates opportunities for people with disabilities. That, in turn, inspires their independence, self-confidence and dignity. They are the largest provider of adult day support, employment services, community employment and non-medical transportation for individuals with disabilities in Clark County. TAC serves close to 240 individuals. They provide a range of services to develop and enhance person-centered skills (social, vocational and personal) which provide opportunities for individuals to better access their community. One of these programs is the Fresh Abilities restaurant.

Fresh Abilities, in downtown Springfield located in the new COhatch- The Market, is celebrating their grand opening this week. Fresh Abilities is a quick-service salad restaurant, staffed by trained individuals with disabilities to work in the food service industry. The primary objective of this project is to provide the skills and experience necessary for individuals with disabilities to secure competitive, integrated employment in the community. Additionally, this will provide exposure to the talents and abilities of those with disabilities to the widespread Springfield/Clark County Community, helping to remove the stigma associated with disabilities. As a result of this goal, individuals will increase their wages earned, and in turn TAC hopes this will lead to greater financial stability and less dependence on public benefits. 
TAC has a long history and strong reputation for providing excellent vocational training opportunities for the individuals they serve. The benefit of this training and employment opportunities, such as Fresh Abilities, in community integrated settings being operated by TAC is that there will be the added flexibility to meet the specific needs of individuals who may need additional supports, which a traditional employer may have difficulty providing. These alternate, community-integrated worksites have been successful in helping individuals achieve upward mobility and move away from vocational habitation into more permanent employment and connect with new job opportunities as a result of their training.

Bridget Doane, Director of Development & Donor Relations, commented: "This has been the first time for many of the team members at Fresh Abilities to work out in the broader community in many years and it has been a great experience so far. Everyone has been very encouraging and complementary to our team and we are looking forward to them building relationships with our customers as time goes on!"

The Fresh Abilities restaurant has already successfully trained 11 trainees from the food service pre-training program, who all received their ServSafe Level 1 certification. Trainees received 18 days, or 110 hours, of food service, food preparation, food safety, sanitation and customer training to prepare them for work in the food service industry. 
Their salads are fresh and locally sourced from their own hydroponic greenhouse at the TAC Farm, located at the main TAC facilities in Springfield. There they produce varieties of lettuce and greens including: romaine, bibb (butter head), all-star salad mix, kale, arugula and other seasonal types. 

United Way is proud to fund an agency that is making such an impact in the community of Clark County. If you are interested in learning more about, or getting involved with TAC - The Abilities Connection or Fresh Abilities visit their website  HERE or call 937-525-7400. 

More Than Just a Salad

Fresh Abilities is now open in the COhatch Market! For hours, the menu or more details check out their website HERE .
United Way of Clark, Champaign and Madison Counties
120 S. Center Street Springfield, OH 45502
Main Office Clark County (937) 324-5551