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Tag Archives: food insecurity

Louise R. Lester Foundation

Gateway Industries Inc. Receives Louise R. Lester Foundation Grant

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Healthy Meals and Snacks Project

Gateway, a private not for profit rehabilitation program serving disabled individuals in the tri-county areas of Greenbrier, Monroe, and Pocahontas, was recently awarded a generous grant from the Louise R. Lester Foundation. The Gateway program is designed to assess, train, and assist program participants with finding and retaining both independent and supportive employment opportunities in their communities, alongside of their non-disabled counterparts. Program participants unable to secure and retain work in the community are offered the chance to remain with Gateway and work and earn a modest income while receiving a host of supportive employment and socialization services. For this population, Gateway offers a new lease on life and break free from social isolation while becoming tax productive citizens vs. tax consumptive citizens, who can begin to integrate into the community at large.

The grant is earmarked to assist Gateway address a problem, (Food Insecurity) – not only impacting the individuals with disability (disabilities) that are served by Gateway, but also a problem that affects individuals from every walk of life. Although, it disproportionately impacts those in low socioeconomic groups. With the funding, Gateway will be able to purchase healthy meals and snacks for program participants when they are at Gateway and will also help to purchase food to prepare meals at home. The benefit to all is that with the introduction of good food, clients can remain focused on training and employment, without having to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Through the assistance and generosity of the Lester Foundation, Gateway will continue to provide healthy meals throughout the funding cycle, while all other aspects of services will, continue without interruption. Gateway is deeply grateful to be able to address the issue of food insecurity and to provide healthy meals for this often-overlooked population of individuals, who want little more than the chance to be a contributing member of society.

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We Will Work For You

Gateway Industries provides a host of services designed to meet a wide variety of needs.