Holiday Lights and Electrical Cord Recycling
WACOSA, in partnership with the Recycling Association of Minnesota and other fine organizations is now accepting holiday lights and electrical cords for recycling, free of charge. Teaming up with businesses and organizations through out central Minnesota (see current list below) there are multiple drop sites for this exciting opportunity to "go green."
What we accept:
If you're interested in becoming a drop site or would like more information please contact Beth Sueker at 320-257-5182, bsueker@wacosa.org, OR Ann Roesler at 320-257-5191, aroesler@wacosa.org.
What we accept:
- Electrical cords
- Holiday lights - even the lights are recycled!
- Appliance cords
- Electrical wiring
- Telephone cords
- Cords with battery packs
- Cords with adapters
- Cords attached to appliances or the original item (cords only please)
- Cords attached to large holiday decorations (cords only please)
- WACOSA DocuShred
- St. Cloud State University - 211 11th St. S. (this building only)
- Girl Scouts, Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines
- Waite Park City Hall
- Tri-County Solid Waste
If you're interested in becoming a drop site or would like more information please contact Beth Sueker at 320-257-5182, bsueker@wacosa.org, OR Ann Roesler at 320-257-5191, aroesler@wacosa.org.
WACOSA’s Andy Archer Selected for Capitol Fellowship Program
MN Works!, an organization with a state wide initiative to assist people with disabilities in obtaining meaningful employment together with Minnesota Senator Kathy Sheran are sponsoring an honorary internship with the State Capitol for persons with disabilities. The purpose of this program is to engage the Minnesota Senate in providing persons with disabilities an opportunity to demonstrate their capacity to participate in work performed in the Minnesota Legislature and the State Capitol. In addition, the program seeks to mentor participants on careers of the future and provide honor and recognition to those in the disability community that have demonstrated commitment to work and exemplary performance on the job.
Carrie Worm, a client manager at WACOSA, nominated Andy Archer for the Capitol Fellowship. Andy has been with WACOSA since 1998 and has been employed by Bernicks Pepsi since 2002. “Andy has shown exceptional growth in maturity, self-awareness, and self-advocacy throughout the years,” stated Carrie Worm. “Andy is an active member of his church, has participated in many self-advocating activities including trips to the Capitol and has learned to budget and save his money to go on trips around the world (i.e. Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, cruises, etc.). Andy represents what someone can do when they want to improve their life with hard work and dedication. Andy would be a great candidate to participate in an internship at the Capitol through MN Works.”
Andy will go to the Capitol once weekly for the 2010 legislative session. He will be mentored by co-workers at the state senate and the hosting senator. Andy’s work will help people with disabilities be recognized for their contributions to the state’s workforce as well as to communicate to business and industry the quality work people with disabilities can provide to their organizations.
Along with Andy’s opportunity, Pam Wilson, a job coach at WACOSA, was selected as one of two job coaches that will provide supervisory assistance for the entire fellowship program. Additionally, WACOSA has offered transportation services to Independent Lifestyles, ARC Midstate and Independence Center, should they wish to go to the Capitol and attend meetings during the legislative session.
Congratulations to Andy and Pam! We are thrilled to have them represent WACOSA and to teach our communities about the great work people with disabilities do every day.
There is a press conference at the State Capitol on Feb. 4th, 2010 at 8:30am. The public is welcome to attend.
Carrie Worm, a client manager at WACOSA, nominated Andy Archer for the Capitol Fellowship. Andy has been with WACOSA since 1998 and has been employed by Bernicks Pepsi since 2002. “Andy has shown exceptional growth in maturity, self-awareness, and self-advocacy throughout the years,” stated Carrie Worm. “Andy is an active member of his church, has participated in many self-advocating activities including trips to the Capitol and has learned to budget and save his money to go on trips around the world (i.e. Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, cruises, etc.). Andy represents what someone can do when they want to improve their life with hard work and dedication. Andy would be a great candidate to participate in an internship at the Capitol through MN Works.”
Andy will go to the Capitol once weekly for the 2010 legislative session. He will be mentored by co-workers at the state senate and the hosting senator. Andy’s work will help people with disabilities be recognized for their contributions to the state’s workforce as well as to communicate to business and industry the quality work people with disabilities can provide to their organizations.
Along with Andy’s opportunity, Pam Wilson, a job coach at WACOSA, was selected as one of two job coaches that will provide supervisory assistance for the entire fellowship program. Additionally, WACOSA has offered transportation services to Independent Lifestyles, ARC Midstate and Independence Center, should they wish to go to the Capitol and attend meetings during the legislative session.
Congratulations to Andy and Pam! We are thrilled to have them represent WACOSA and to teach our communities about the great work people with disabilities do every day.
There is a press conference at the State Capitol on Feb. 4th, 2010 at 8:30am. The public is welcome to attend.
WACOSA 2009 Food Drive
WACOSA consumers and staff wanted to give to their community around the holidays and boy did they ever! The 2009 WACOSA food drive brought in a whopping 212 pounds of food for area food shelves. In addition, they dug deep to donate $102.25 in cash donations which was generously matched by Stearns Bank of St. Cloud. The result was a fantastic $204.50 cash donation! To put these dollars in perspective, EVERY dollar donated provides FIVE to EIGHT meals. At a minimum, the WACOSA and Stearns Bank partnership provided over 1000 meals to need individuals and families. Donations were collected from WACOSA consumers and staff and given to the St. Cloud Catholic Charities food bank. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you WACOSA consumers and staff for supporting our community.
Ribbon Cutting for New Warming House
WACOSA and St. Cloud Metro Bus had a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the new warming house placed outside of WACOSA’s Waite Park location. St. Cloud Metro Bus not only built a new warming house, they worked with the city of Waite Park to make loading and unloading of the St. Cloud Metro Bus safer for WACOSA staff and clients, as well as others in our community who use this bus stop, by adding pavement from the warming house to the road. Jolette Zapf had the honors of cutting the ribbon and David Tripp, Terry Markfort, Steve Williams, and Tom Cruikshank from Metro Bus joined WACOSA staff and clients for the ceremony. WACOSA extends a big thank you to St. Cloud Metro Bus as well as the City of Waite Park for providing this new warming house for our community.
CentraCare Health Foundation Awards Grant to WACOSA
WACOSA is pleased to announce they have been chosen by the CentraCare Health Foundation to receive a $5,000.00 grant. The grant money will help to kick off WACOSA’s new Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program, scheduled to open January 2010. The grant dollars that CentraCare Health Foundation contributed will go towards education and staff training. WACOSA’s ASD program will be a much needed addition to the vocational rehabilitation services WACOSA offers to adults with disabilities in central Minnesota. “WACOSA thanks the CentraCare Health Foundation for helping with the expense of training our staff,” Steve Howard, WACOSA’s executive director stated. “This will help WACOSA become a strong member in the ASD community and serve this rapidly increasing population of adults by assisting them in finding work opportunities as well as building self-esteem.”
Sears receives award from the Minnesota Rehabilitation Association
Annually the Minnesota Rehabilitation Association recognizes businesses who demonstrated their confidence in the ability of individuals with disabilities to be valuable employees by their actions/involvement in hiring and working with people with disabilities.
The winner receives a Job Placement Development Award. (JPD Award) This year Roxanne Ryan, a sales representative from WACOSA, nominated Sears in St. Cloud, MN. Sears hired Ric Hennek, a WACOSA client, in 2008. “Sears has been a great employer for Ric,” states Ms. Ryan, “He very much feels part of the Sears family. Ric values his work and talks about how important it is for him. After having his accident he felt like a ‘nobody’, Sears helps Ric feel valuable, and like a ‘somebody’ again.”
October is disability awareness month and a great time to recognize all in our community who support people with disabilities.
The winner receives a Job Placement Development Award. (JPD Award) This year Roxanne Ryan, a sales representative from WACOSA, nominated Sears in St. Cloud, MN. Sears hired Ric Hennek, a WACOSA client, in 2008. “Sears has been a great employer for Ric,” states Ms. Ryan, “He very much feels part of the Sears family. Ric values his work and talks about how important it is for him. After having his accident he felt like a ‘nobody’, Sears helps Ric feel valuable, and like a ‘somebody’ again.”
October is disability awareness month and a great time to recognize all in our community who support people with disabilities.
WACOSA receives VSA of Minnesota Art Access Award
In photo, left to right, Susan Riley, WACOSA Curriculum Coordinator and Elena White, WACOSA arts volunteer and nominator of the VSA arts of MN award.
WACOSA is the proud recipient of an Art Access Award given by VSA arts of Minnesota. VSA arts of Minnesota is an affiliate of VSA arts and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, headquartered in Washington, DC. This Washington-based nonprofit has a mission to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in, and access the arts. VSA’s name stands for “Vision” of an inclusive community, “Strength” in shared resources, and “Access” to the arts.
This was the 12th annual VSA arts of Minnesota Arts Access Award ceremony. WACOSA won the award for being an “Outstanding organization actively supporting access to the arts for people with disabilities.” WACOSA’s vision is for people of all abilities to be empowered to reach their full potential. In meeting with this vision, WACOSA continues to grow and embrace an art culture within their organization. WACOSA has introduced water color painting, charcoal drawing, sewing, music using unique instruments from around the world, adaptive Tae Kwon Do, photography, beading, creative movement and their own talent contest entitled, “WACOSA’s Got Talent”. The organization plans to continue growing in this area.
Individuals receiving services report loving this exciting program direction. Staff and volunteers enjoy watching WACOSA consumers gain increased confidence and self-esteem and are gratified to watch individuals learn and display great artistic talent.
WACOSA DocuShred Receives Document Destruction Certification
WACOSA DocuShred received certification through the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) in mid-July. This certification is the shredding industry's most widely recognized credential for document destruction and assures businesses and individuals doing business with DocuShred that their sensitive documents will be destroyed in a safe and secure manner.
“DocuShred has always maintained the highest of security measures,” stated Beth Sueker, WACOSA’s Director of Operations. “We have 24 hour a day, 7 day a week monitoring, with a strictly controlled access to our shredding operation. Formal NAID certification serves to confirm that an outside agency agrees that we meet or exceed the specifications required to be certified in document destruction.” Many banking establishments, medical facilities, accounting firms and other businesses require the document destruction company with which they do business to be certified. “With our newly acquired NAID certification, we expect even greater growth in our DocuShred operation. This is exciting for us here at WACOSA. This certification will help us continue to fulfill our mission by providing more work opportunities for adults with disabilities, while also helping us promote the philosophy of “going green”.
“DocuShred has always maintained the highest of security measures,” stated Beth Sueker, WACOSA’s Director of Operations. “We have 24 hour a day, 7 day a week monitoring, with a strictly controlled access to our shredding operation. Formal NAID certification serves to confirm that an outside agency agrees that we meet or exceed the specifications required to be certified in document destruction.” Many banking establishments, medical facilities, accounting firms and other businesses require the document destruction company with which they do business to be certified. “With our newly acquired NAID certification, we expect even greater growth in our DocuShred operation. This is exciting for us here at WACOSA. This certification will help us continue to fulfill our mission by providing more work opportunities for adults with disabilities, while also helping us promote the philosophy of “going green”.
WACOSA Receives "I" Award
WACOSA is the proud recipient of the inaugural Innovation Award (“I” Award) presented by the Center for Non-Profit Excellence & Social Innovation (CNESI). WACOSA received the award for its business recycling program. The recycling program at WACOSA provides many benefits to our community. Not only does it help employ adults with disabilities, but it also promotes “going green”, which helps our business partners capture the great value in recycling to reduce waste.
Ann Roesler, WACOSA’s Marketing and Development Manager states “Many of our recycling business partners are thrilled to promote their organization’s message to ‘go green’. At the same time, they are also reducing waste in their dumpster space, resulting in significant money savings. Since this program is free to businesses in our area, it truly is a win/win situation.”
In the award letter to WACOSA, Tara Tollefson, the Chairperson for the “I” Awards Committee wrote “Thank you for the work you do in the community and thank you for being an Innovation Role Model for the other non-profits in our community. The selection committee and the CNESI Board of Directors were very impressed with the recycling program developed to provide paid work to persons with physical, mental, and behavioral challenges, while making our community a better to place to live.”
WACOSA used the award money given by CNESI to purchase a new sign, now prominently placed in front of WACOSA’s DocuShred storefront. Steve Howard, Executive Director of WACOSA noted, “This sign further promotes WACOSA’s dedication to the message of ‘going green’, as well as raising awareness about our document destruction business and letting our community know that DocuShred is open to the public. It promises to bring in more document destruction business, while providing the people we serve more job opportunities. We can’t thank CNESI enough for this award. We are extremely honored. WACOSA will continue to look for ways to partner with our community to make it a better place for everyone!”
Ann Roesler, WACOSA’s Marketing and Development Manager states “Many of our recycling business partners are thrilled to promote their organization’s message to ‘go green’. At the same time, they are also reducing waste in their dumpster space, resulting in significant money savings. Since this program is free to businesses in our area, it truly is a win/win situation.”
In the award letter to WACOSA, Tara Tollefson, the Chairperson for the “I” Awards Committee wrote “Thank you for the work you do in the community and thank you for being an Innovation Role Model for the other non-profits in our community. The selection committee and the CNESI Board of Directors were very impressed with the recycling program developed to provide paid work to persons with physical, mental, and behavioral challenges, while making our community a better to place to live.”
WACOSA used the award money given by CNESI to purchase a new sign, now prominently placed in front of WACOSA’s DocuShred storefront. Steve Howard, Executive Director of WACOSA noted, “This sign further promotes WACOSA’s dedication to the message of ‘going green’, as well as raising awareness about our document destruction business and letting our community know that DocuShred is open to the public. It promises to bring in more document destruction business, while providing the people we serve more job opportunities. We can’t thank CNESI enough for this award. We are extremely honored. WACOSA will continue to look for ways to partner with our community to make it a better place for everyone!”