2020 Member Agency of the Year: Downstate
The word Jawonio means independence. The Jawonio agency also stands for the pride and diligence that individuals with disabilities have put into safeguarding communities this year.
Our organizations have partnered together on employment opportunities throughout Rockland, Westchester and other counties for 25 years. The result is long-term, consistent livelihoods for so many, including Employee of the Year Gerard Acer, a 20-year veteran in the cleaning program.
Jawonio’s Cleaning Company has done a tremendous job in gaining customers who value its skilled services and enjoy having an inclusive work environment. Many of these customers have been operating business as usual throughout COVID-19, counting on Jawonio custodians to keep their sites clean and safe for employees and the public.
According to Immediate Past CEO Jill Warner, who has been with Jawonio nearly three decades, “In March and April, when things were so uncertain, Jawonio’s Cleaning Company learned how to do deep cleaning and sanitizing, while protecting themselves. They were out there every single day – because people with disabilities step up.”
Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, Jawonio will open its new Workforce Development Center to provide even more training and employment opportunities than ever before. We wish them great success.