Brattleboro Together We Can Award

On Wednesday March 15^th the first quarterly Brattleboro Together We Can Award was presented to the Vermont Foodbank.  Dan Skurat and Andrea Jaquith had nominated The Vermont Foodbank for their continued support to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce.  Accepting the award on behalf of the Vermont Foodbank was Ed Katuska – Administrative Coordinator. 

The Together We Can Award is based on the following criteria:

• Employers who work closely with community partners to recruit, hire and retain local employees.
• Employers who work towards or who have developed family centered workplace initiatives.
• Employers who have developed or partnered to develop training opportunities to promote growth from within or to provide skills training for the local workforce.
• Employers who strive to have an inclusive and diverse workforce.
• Employers who offer creative workforce opportunities to the community such as flex scheduling, telecommuting, job share opportunities, work experiences and internships/apprenticeships to name a few.
• Employers who offer mentoring, career counseling and/or employment opportunities to local students.  High School and/or College level.

In nominating the Vermont Foodbank, Dan wrote “I am nominating the VT Food Bank for the 1^st Together We Can Employer recognition.  The VT Food Bank has been a long time partner of CWS they have worked with Voc-Rehab, and Reach Up to provide Training opportunities through Work Experiences and Community Service Placement’s.  The VT Food Bank has provided opportunities to a diverse group of consumers from many backgrounds.  They have offered opportunities to VR and RU consumers with criminal backgrounds.  They have worked with supported employment consumers through Families First.  Above all the staff at the VT Food Bank believes in the potential within consumers.  They have encouraged consumers to apply for jobs and given them references.  They have gone as far as to visit other employers within the building to advocate for a consumer who applied to that business.  The VT Food Bank understands that together we can build stronger communities through providing employment training opportunities to those with barriers to employment.”

We are collecting nominations for the 2^nd quarter award which will be presented on June 15^th.