CARF International announced that Pomona Valley Workshop (PVW) has been accredited for a period of three years for its programs of service, including Organizational Employment Services, Community Employment Services (including Job Development, Job Support and Job-Site Training), Community Integration, Older Adults Specific Population Designation and Governance Standards. The latest accreditation is the thirteenth (14^th) consecutive Three-Year Accreditation outcome that the international accrediting commission has awarded to PVW. 

This accreditation outcome represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization that shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF Standards.  An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation outcome has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable. President/CEO of CARF, Brian J. Boon, stated in his cover letter, “Please be advised that the CARF surveyors made no recommendations, which signifies that they did not identify any areas of nonconformance to the standards.  This is an extraordinary accomplishment, as only 3 percent of CARF surveys result in no recommendations.  Everyone involved in your organization should take pride in achieving this high level of accreditation.” 

Pomona Valley Workshop is a nonprofit organization serving adults who have developmental disabilities with offices located at 4650 Brooks Street, Montclair, CA 91763. It has been providing services throughout the Inland Empire since 1966. 

CARF is an independent, not-for-profit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966, as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. 

For additional information, contact Karen Jones, Executive Director, at (909) 624-3555, extension 223.

Montclair, Calif. – October 10, 2006 — PVW, formerly know as Pomona Valley Workshop, will celebrate 40 years of business at the Tastes of Tuscany Multi-Chamber Mixer on Thursday, October 19, 2006. Members of the Montclair, Pomona, Chino Valley, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga Chambers of Commerce will be on hand from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm for the celebration that will include wine tasting, Italian food sampling, tours of PVW, a silent auction, and a cask & key drawing.

 PVW, founded as non-profit corporation by the parents of 15 developmentally disabled adults in 1966, has grown to serve more than 400 persons yearly through the Work Program, Supported Employment Services, the Adult Development Center and the ‘Round About Senior Services. Since its inception, PVW has focused on vocational training for developmentally disabled adult that primarily reside in Eastern Los Angeles County and Western San Bernardino County. 

 Through contracted packaging, assembly and production jobs, workers earn wages based upon Industrial Standards as outlined by the Federal Wage and Hours Laws for facilities serving people with disabilities. In addition, PVW assists developmentally disabled adults find work in businesses throughout the community as individual employees or in groups of three to five employees, called enclaves. Each work opportunity provides adults with disabilities an opportunity to move towards financial self-sufficiency and vocational and social integration.

 Contact Brandi Carter, Director of Marketing and Development, at 909-624-3555 x239 for more information about hiring or contracting with PVW or to learn more about the Tastes of Tuscany Multi-Chamber Mixer. Additional information is also online at www.pvwonline.org.

Montclair, Calif. – June 19, 2006 — The US Soccer Federation through Upland-based manufacturer, Sport Pins International, is sub-contracting the former Pomona Valley Workshop, now PVW, and its workforce of developmentally disabled adults  to assemble licensed lapel pin sets commemorating the US Soccer team’s 2006 FIFA World Cup bid.   PVW, a Montclair-based non-profit corporation that provides employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled, is assembling the entire lot of 500 limited edition pin sets prominently selling online at ussoccerstore.com, the US Soccer Federation’s online store.

“To be involved in an event of the magnitude of the World Cup is especially exciting and our disabled workforce should be extremely proud of the hard work they have done to prepare the Sport Pins for this event,” says PVW Executive Director, Karen Jones. 

The sub-contracted assembly job presents an opportunity for PVW to demonstrate the abilities of the developmentally disabled on a global stage.  “The abilities of our disabled workforce are truly amazing and I am very proud of them, showing the world once again that detailed and intricate jobs are not beyond the scope of their outstanding skills – skills they have successfully developed with the help of PVW in spite of their disabilities,” continues Jones.

Each set requires hand assembly that includes placing 25 pins around an official US Soccer Federation laser engraved serialized title plate in a hand-made walnut box.  Each box includes a team crest pin, a pin representing team Manager Bruce Arena and 23 numerically ordered pins with an action image, a replicated signature and jersey number for each US Men’s team member.  “We were able to accomplish our production needs by developing jigs and fixtures which help the consumers place the collector^s pins in the designated location in the box without issue, says Carol Martinez, Director of Production Services, explaining PVW’s production process.

PVW satisfactorily completed the first order of 100 on June 12, completing assembly and delivery of the first 30 in less than one day and the total order in 3-days.   PVW begins assembling the second phase of the order on June 19. 

“We are always grateful for the opportunity to challenge our production capabilities with more detailed and intricate work. This type of challenge enables our consumers to develop new skills and enhance existing skills,” says Martinez.  “More importantly our consumers feel a sense of pride by being involved in a project of this scope.

We look forward to future contract opportunities of this nature through Sport Pins International.”

Developmentally Disabled Lead Fundraising for PVW

Montclair, Calif. – June 12, 2006 — PVW, a Montclair-based non-profit formerly known as Pomona Valley Workshop that provides employment opportunities for developmentally disabled adults, is hosting the Third Annual Walk for PVW to raise funds for their programs and services at Upland Memorial Park from 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. on July 1.

Leading the fundraising efforts are the developmentally disabled men and women employed and served by the organization’s programs, demonstrating that adults with down syndrome, autism and other illnesses associated with mental retardation can contribute to the workplace and the community.  In order to fundraise, individual program participants are seeking donations from family, friends and community members to sponsor their participation in the walk. 

With many program participants residing in and around Chino, Pomona, Ontario, Claremont, Upland and Montclair, support for the Walk for PVW’s participants is primarily local. Yet, by receiving sponsorships from family and friends from as far away as Pennsylvania, last year’s top fundraiser raised $550 for the organization’s programs and services. “I felt great.  I was so happy,” said the long-time program participant of her accomplishment.  “I want to raise even more than I did last year.” 

To sponsor a walker, volunteer or learn more about PVW’s programs and services please contact Brandi Carter by phone at 909-624-3555 ext. 239 or by e-mail at Brandi@pvwonline.org.