A win-win if we can keep it

CES provides employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.

CES provides meaningful employment opportunities for adults with disabilities through recycling efforts in Riverton, WY

Some 30 years ago, Community Entry Services, (CES) a Riverton, WY based nonprofit that helps adults with disabilities, began a pilot jobs program with Fremont County Solid Waste District to recycle paper, cardboard and plastic from businesses and individuals across the city of Riverton.

In the years since, around one hundred adults with disabilities have found meaningful employment in this program that serves over 110 businesses, schools, municipal offices, a Hospital and the local regional Airport. Employees include members of the local indigenous Arapaho and Shoshone tribes from the Wind River Reservation who suffer from disproportionately high unemployment, poverty and crime. 

The legacy diesel garbage truck is past its service life and needs replacing. We're seeking support to buy a non-CDL truck in the near future that will ensure the financial sustainability of this program for years to come.

Having a "real" job has made a huge difference in the lives of these disabled Americans and their families. And it's certainly real! Thanks to their efforts, the Solid Waste District has been able to recycle tens of thousands of tons of paper and other materials that otherwise would be dumped in landfills. The effort has allowed disabled adults to gain a sense of purpose, support themselves and interact with the public on a regular basis as peers not mere objects of compassion.

For years now, Community Entry Services' staff and clients have moved around Riverton in a small fleet of vehicles including a full size garbage truck and a following vehicle with CES staff and a few more clients. As a business, it about covers its own cost - assuming nothing breaks as the legacy truck is well past its service life. 

The Challenge: keeping the vehicles running

Initially a grant to fund the purchase of a new, clean diesel crew cab garbage truck was sought through EPA "environmental justice" programs. While the application was approved, this spring the entire program has been shut down - putting this 30 year old successful recycling and jobs program in doubt for the long run unless private funders can be found in the next 2 years to help us replace the legacy garbage truck with a clean-diesel, non-CDL truck with a crew cab.

As grant applications go, this one held great promise to drastically reduce the costs associated with the current program. Now, due to both reliability issues and the limitations of the cab size, a CES support vehicle must shadow the truck to ensure the safety of our clients in all sorts of weather. A crew cab with seating for 5 would eliminate the need, cost, and fuel consumption of 2 vehicles per route.

This program has been a good example of how non-profits can support adults with disabilities, from economically poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, find meaningful work that also serves the public good... and break even. It's been a win-win for Wyoming.

Going forward, without a reliable garbage truck, CES will be forced to rely on many more trips with pick up trucks and trailers that increase fuel and driver costs to maintain the current contracts with 110 local businesses. For now, disabled adults who work in the program are safely employed. We hope to find a work-around to guarantee their employment into the future. 

About 1% of the population in Wyoming are considered "disabled" for purposes of Federal Disability classification. Of roughly 5000 people, about 2500 are adults with varying degrees of disability. Community Entry Services is the largest WY based service provider for adults in this category with over 130 adults served at any given time. CES provides homes and apartments, transportation, day-habilitation services, job placement and other supports to help adults live as independent lives as possible. The recycling program in Riverton is one of the longest running jobs contract in the 50 year old non-profit's history.

If you believe in the potential of adults with disabilities, helping the environment in a practical way, and supporting rural communities, consider allyship with Community Entry Services today.