Good News Friday!

I enjoy and take great pride in recognizing the successes of Imagine!’s departments. I also think it is necessary to acknowledge the successes of other organizations that provide services to people with one or more developmental disabilities. When that organization also happens to support individuals who receive services from Imagine!, it is icing on the cake.

Please join me in congratulating Employment Link and its Executive Director Bob Lawhead as they celebrate 50 years of service to the Boulder and Denver community. Employment Link was begun in 1960 by Boulder County families with children and young adults with disabilities who desired a better life for their sons and daughters. The focus of Employment Link over the past fifty years has been assisting Boulder County employers in locating qualified employees with disabilities, along with employee screening, workforce training, and ongoing employee support.

I recall in the early years of Imagine!’s vocational program Labor Source how Employment Link and Labor Source pooled resources and shared quite a few endeavors that resulted in a variety of employment opportunities for the individuals we served. Although in some regards it could be interpreted that Employment Link and Labor Source were competitors, it was a far cry from “Coke versus Pepsi.” We recognized that we were on the same team, and I have no doubt that the individuals we served, the employees in both organizations, and our business community all benefited from our collaborative efforts.

Employment Link will be celebrating their 50th anniversary on September 15, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, at CU's Koenig Alumni Center, 1202 University Avenue (on the Southeast corner of Broadway and University in Boulder). In conjunction with the open house event will be the formal announcement of a corporate name change to Community Link.

To attend Employment Link’s free open house celebration, please RSVP at (303) 527-0627 or info@emplink.org.