ent000988-030

WHAT IS THE NEW YORK LEAGUE? Over a decade ago, a group of pioneering, community-minded women formed the New York League for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, New York City Chapter. The League was born out of the mentally retarded adult's need to express and realize his desire for independence in the form of productivity and paid employment. To this end, the League women have pledged themselves to raise sufficient funds to maintain the AHRC Training Center and Workshop, specifically designed to help the mentally retarded develop work skills . . . and to become paid, productive members of society. WHERE CAN THE RETARDED BE TRAINED? The AHRC Training Center and Workshop, located at 380 Second Avenue in N.Y.C., serves 150 mentally retarded adults in job-training and sheltered workshop employment. It is operated 5 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. and is managed by a highly trained, professional staff. The types of work successfully performed by the trainees are packaging, assembly and disassembly, wiring, heat sealing and messenger work. Most of the work done in the Shop is obtained from industry on a sub-contract basis. Some trainees are taught how to prepare and serve food, wash pots and pans and operate a dish-washing machine. This instruction is carried on in the Workshop's restaurant-cafeteria, recently donated by the New York League. This unique center, in existence for ten years, has given vocational training and job opportunities to over 500 retarded people ... a saving to tax-payers amounting to millions of dollars! Empl hipping procedure. Employee operating ribbon-typing machine r ,;:#sf| ; --'- The AHRC Training Center and Workshop has made histpry, in that it is a prototype for seventy similar projects throughout the country. It is engaged also in an active research program in vocational habilitation. WHAT ABOUT WAGES? All trainees receive wages for the work they do in the Shop. The earnings are based on the type of work done and the amount of output. When a trainee is placed in competitive employment outside the Workshop, the pay is considerably higher. Consider the success stories of two ex- trainees: J.C.: Pantry worker in metropolitan hospital ?╟÷ weekly wages: $63.25 A.L.: Kick-Press operator in factory ?╟÷ weekly wages: $55.73 NEW, ENLARGED PROGRAM In addition to job-training and employment services, trainees benefit from the Center's related services such as instruction in personal grooming, travel skills, reading and arithmetic classes and other social activities. A special source of pride is "The Workshop Star," a newspaper, written and issued bi-monthly by the trainees. WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE? There are hundreds of mentally retarded youngsters and adults . . . part of a potential labor force . . . who are on a waiting list for AHRC Training Center and Workshop services. They are waiting because our present facilities are too crowded to accommodate them. We must expand if we are to help those who want to help themselves. They are waiting for someone to care. We care. DO YOU?