Our Annual Appeal

An Appeal to Our Friends

What if there was a place that was accepting and nurturing of your unique abilities, providing a setting in which you could learn, have fun, and maximize your independence? Metro Work Center offers the chance for developmentally disabled adults to experience this growth every day.

Metro Work Center, Inc provides employment opportunities, life skill development support, community integration, and leisure and recreation activities on an individualized basis to adults with developmental disabilities and related conditions. By providing our services and client consumer opportunities, we enhance participant self-esteem, support independence and promote community integration with non-disabled other individuals.

Our organization has been serving the community for over 40 years. Some of our consumer participants have been involved with our work programs for most of that time while others joined us just this summer. These individuals work, interact with their peers and the general community and earn wages to help them support their positive sense of self worth.

The Center is kept small in order to provide individualized attention to each consumer. We choose to have all direct care services staffed with Qualified Mental Retardation Professionals (QMRP’s), rather than having aides do most of the contact with consumers. This policy and practice of individual nurturing strengthens the bond between staff and consumer and further helps the consumer in the daily work and recreation environment.

Employment Opportunities:

The majority of the individuals involved in Metro Work Center’s programming want to participate in some type of work. Employment options vary and are designed to meet the outcome goals of each consumer. Personal interests and skills are always considered in developing the right job opportunity. Many employment opportunities are community based and may include experiences with differing levels of supervisory support. The opportunity for consumers to utilize their own skills in a work environment can be transformative, as Direct Care specialist Kelly has seen firsthand.

“John grew up in the state hospital and was very withdrawn. He didn’t really want to interact with people and then he got a job and it made a huge difference in his life. We could see his personality evolve as he became much more talkative. He started developing relationships. Even though it was a minimal amount of hours it made a big difference to him.”

Learning, Community and Recreational Options:

Our location is accessible to the community and our neighbors are open and friendly to our inclusion in the fabric of the area. Consumers participate in community events and volunteer in the neighborhood. In addition to employment, leisure and recreation activities are an integral part of consumers’ experience at Metro Work Center. Consumers play card games, attend music events, solve puzzles, go on field trips, and experiment in arts and crafts.

Tony likes to work but he also likes to get out in the community. As an avid Twins baseball fan, he particularly likes to join his friends taking a light rail trip for an afternoon at the ballpark.

You can support this quality organization with a contribution today .

With your help we can continue to provide these invaluable services to our consumers.