The new center will promote the development of both work and life skills for individuals with disabilities and other challenges, enabling all to thrive.
Development Services, Inc. (DSI) and United Way of Daviess County are excited to announce that DSI was awarded a matching capital grant of up to $75,000 from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative renovate existing space into a new Hospitality Training Center that will increase essential life and employment skills among individuals with disabilities and other challenges. The center will also fill a larger skills gap for employers in assisted living and hospitality industries like food service and housekeeping.
Participants will learn essential skills like how to prepare a meal, how to clean and sanitize a room, laundry service, and basic financial management. These skills will enable participants to both care for themselves and apply for employment, giving them an opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and financial stability.
Funding for this project was made possible due to United Way of Daviess County’s membership in Indiana United Ways, the state membership association for local United Ways serving Indiana counties. The Hospitality Training Center also has the support of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation and other generous donors.
“At United Way of Daviess County, we envision a community where lifting up others is common practice and everyone has an opportunity to achieve their educational, health, and financial goals. A long-time partner of DSI, we endorsed the development of their Hospitality Training Center to the Statewide Capital Projects Initiative because it embodies this vision,” said Zella Taylor, Executive Director of United Way of Daviess County. “We’re delighted to leverage membership in our state association to bring these funds into our community. Serving those who often go unrepresented in our local workforce and are often not reflected in our unemployment numbers, DSI’s Hospitality Training Center will activate a whole new part of our workforce, one that is eager to learn and eager to contribute. It will serve not only DSI’s clients, but the people that serve them and the public as a whole. We stand behind this effort knowing that nearly everyone in our community will be touched by its impact.”
Located in DSI’s current building at 2212 E. National Highway in Washington, Indiana, the new Hospitality Training Center will convert underutilized space into a Hospitality Training Center that houses a working kitchen, demonstration bedroom and bath, and working laundry. Additional skill development related to running a household and managing a budget will also be incorporated into the Center’s curriculum. The new center will be led by DSI’s supported employment team, and the curriculum will connect to DSI’s school-to-work transition program. The new facility is expected to open sometime this summer.
“For far too long, individuals with disabilities and other challenges have been underestimated. Our community’s investment in this new Hospitality Training Center represents a movement toward autonomy, self-sufficiency, and financial stability for this part of our community. Empowering individuals with disabilities and other challenges to learn, grow, and contribute to the community they live in has the power to transform lives. When someone believes in you and invests in you, your whole mindset can shift. Suddenly, you can see a future filled with potential. That’s what we aspire to here at DSI, seeing that light in the eyes of people we walk alongside,” said Sherri Tredway, Development Director for DSI. “We’d like to thank United Way of Daviess County, Indiana United Ways, Daviess Economic Development Corporation, and other donors to this project for making that step toward future potential possible.”
Those interested in following the progress of the Hospitality Training Center project can follow Development Services, Inc. on Facebook. For more information about DSI and its programs, visit dsiservices.org.
To learn whether your capital project might qualify for a grant from the Indiana United Ways Statewide Capital Projects Initiative, contact United Way of Daviess County at (812) 254-1038.