The 2010 Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier in Chicago March 6-14 is more than an opportunity for Linda Vadnais to display her remarkable InvisiClimb invisible plant hangers and trellis kits.
It’s also a chance to educate consumers about the opportunities to support disabled workers.
InvisiClimb is packaged and shipped through Pioneer Center in McHenry, IL.
The good news is that, in serving as a fulfillment center for clients like InvisiClimb, approximately 300 disabled adults turn the vocational education provided by Pioneer Center into actual employment.
The bad news is that, with the economic downturn in the economy, more and more of the jobs Pioneer Center workers have performed in the past are being given to more skilled workers, shipped overseas or lost entirely.
Craig Adams, a marketing representative with the Pioneer Center, said, “We’re probably down 50 percent of where we were two years ago. Every job we have now is very valuable for these workers.”
Vadnais said that, once her clear polymer plant hangers are manufactured, Pioneer Center employees handle all of her packaging, shipping and fulfillment needs. “They really do it all for me,” Vadnais said.
She said that working with Pioneer Center provides a good feeling for herself and her customers who appreciate supporting disabled workers. “It’s just the right thing to do to give people an opportunity when no one else does,” she said.
For more information about the Pioneer Center in McHenry, IL, please visithttp://www.pioneercenter.org
