BRYAN, Texas — One local organization is helping people with disabilities in the Brazos valley live independently. Today they are celebrating a new chapter as they welcome the community back for the first time in two years.
Spring has sprung for the Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living as they welcome back the community for the first time since closing due to the pandemic.
It was the time the world stopped that the center shifted along with the world to a virtual setting to continue providing services as best as they could.
”When COVID hit really had a difficult time serving our consumers," said Mack Marsh, director of programs for BVCIL. "We did it virtually as best we could, but we’re really excited to fling our doors back open."
Now their consumers and community partners like Project Search look to help those in the community with disabilities live independently.
”Well the project search is about people be getting jobs and what we did was we started working on every rotation of interns,” said Trevian Foley, BVCIL consumer.
Project Search partners with BVCIL and Baylor Scott and White to provide young adults with disabilities the chance to gain work experience.
”Independency, I don’t want to live with my family my whole life, it’s an important adulting skill that I want to be able to be on my own and just be like everybody else,” shared Ethan Ostermann, BVCIL consumer.
BVCIL and Project Search are helping multiple consumers land their first jobs.
”It means a lot to me because it helped me understand the skills I need to get a job and what sort of job I do and do not want,” shared Angelo Romano, BVCIL consumer.
The chamber of commerce supports BVCIL efforts of ensuring all members of the community have a chance to contribute to the workforce and help businesses grow.
“Business community is our partners, we work with them to make sure we got the opportunities for people with disabilities and we’re really excited to have the chamber here to help swing our doors back open,” said Marsh.
BVCIL consumers say they are excited for the usefulness of endless opportunities the organization can provide to support independent living.