New News
A Wonderful Award
~ from Mary Ann Beall
Dear Friends, This month a
wonderful honor was bestowed on Ray
Bridge and on the Center
he founded to help people with psychiatric disabilities attain employment. He and the Laurie Mitchell
Employment Center
were presented with the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award.
The Laurie Mitchell
Employment Center
helps those with mental illness and other disabilities build skills, obtain
employment and achieve independence. All
services are free of charge. Since
opening, LMEC has served 2,500 people along their chosen career paths. More than 80% of graduates of advanced
computer training have secured employment by the end of their training.
LMEC's small staff are
themselves mental health consumers and identify with the challenges the people
they serve face, in gaining self confidence, in finding work and managing a
career. While delivering services, they
share their understanding, offer hope and serve as role models to others with
mental illness during their personal and professional development.
I cannot say how proud
I am of Ray and of the wonderful center he founded and has led for all these
years. This year two non-profits were
recognized nation wide and Ray's beloved Laurie Mitchell
Center was one of them. Yours
in Peace, Mary Ann Beall
Celebrating Two Monumental Occasions
Laurie Mitchell Employment
Center is a consumer-run center in Northern Virginia. Please Join the LMEC in Celebrating
Two Monumental Occasions on Saturday, November 10, 2007! On This Day, LMEC will
celebrate its nationally recognized New Freedom Initiative Award recently
presented by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.
Also On This Day... We will launch "The Raymond L. Bridge Empowerment through Training Fund: Empowering consumers along their chosen path
through training." Proceeds of this new fund will benefit Laurie Mitchell
Employment Center
consumers. Please consider honoring Ray with a donation to this special fund.
As we gather Nov. 10, we will also celebrate the many
accomplishments of Raymond
Bridge in honor of his
retirement as President of the Board of LMEC. As one of the founders and
President since 1995, Ray's vision, leadership and unwavering commitment to
LMEC have been extraordinary. To RSVP, Please Call (703) 970-3608. The
celebration will be held at our Edsall
Road location, 6295 Edsall Road, Suite 175, Alexandria,
VA 22312.
Resolution in Honor of Ray Bridge
~ from the VOCAL Board of Directors
The VOCAL Board of Directors hereby recognizes the
exceptional work of Mr. Raymond Bridge and the Laurie
Mitchell Employment
Center in creating a vibrant consumer
owner and operated service which provided new employment opportunities to the
psychiatric survivors/mental health consumers of Northern
Virginia.
The VOCAL Board of Directors congratulates and honors
Mr. Raymond Bridge and the Laurie Mitchell Employment Center for "having
demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment and
workplace environment for people with disabilities" and receiving the Secretary
of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award.
Executive Director Job Posting
Executive Director-Nonprofit Corporation
VOCAL, Inc., a Virginia
statewide consumer-run mental health organization, seeks executive director to
work with staff and Board of Directors to implement goals and objectives and
oversee development of program and organizational strategies. Bachelor's degree
and three years management-level experience in a nonprofit organization
preferred. The office location is to be
determined -- it may be either in Richmond or Charlottesville. The job
description is at www.vocalvirginia.org.
Send cover letter with resume and 3 work-related references to: REACH, Attn:
Executive Director Position. PO Box 630, Harrisonburg,
VA 22803. Or online to: jobs@vocalvirginia.org Must be post-marked or emailed by COB December
7, 2007.
New Member Program
Welcome to a new member program of the VOCAL CO-OP:
Lynchburg, VA
TNT - Talkin and Tradin (forming)
We are peers meeting together to support each other in recovery. We are
hoping more peers will join and we hope to develop into a drop-in center. We are
encouraging others and trying to promote recovery in Lynchburg.
paulab225@hotmail.com
CO-OP Point Person: Paula Brent
Free Training on SSI & Work Incentives
"Understanding the Myriad of Rules Governing SSI/SSDI,
Medicaid, Medicare & Related Work Incentives for People with Disabilities".
WHEN Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - Wednesday, November 7, 2007. WHERE Charlottesville, VA.
Training is free. For more information contact http://www.vaaccses.org/
Just the Basics for Storytellers
"Just The Basics for
Storytellers" Seminar will be presented at the VAPRA Conference on
November 8th from 2:00-3:30 in the Hampton II Room of the Hampton Inn, Hampton, VA.
We will be raffling copies of the inspiration self help book
"Just The Basics By Emolyne" during the seminar. ~ from Ruth Molyne, justthebasics@cox.net
CO-OP Scholarships
Congratulations to Paula Brent, co-chair of TNT - Talkin and Tradin, for receiving a VOCAL CO-OP Scholarship to attend A to Z Grant Writing
at Piedmont College. CO-OP Scholarships are available
for staff, board, and volunteers at peer-run mental health programs in Virginia. More
scholarships are still available! To apply or find out more, please visit http://vocalsupportcenter.org/scholarships.htm
Create-a-Thon
CreateAthon will produce marketing materials and provide
assistance nonprofit organizations for free. CreateAthon can provide a vast variety of
materials and assistance to nonprofits - logos/identities, press release kits,
newsletters, PR strategies, print advertising, posters, direct mail, web
interfaces, and more - all created and polished by students under the
advisement of faculty and local professional mentors at Virginia Commonwealth
University. http://www.createathononcampus.org/
Why Didn't I Get That
Job
A FREE Seminar by the Laurie Mitchell
Employment Center.
Saturday, November 3, 2007, 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Doors Open at 10:30 a.m. Learn
the Top 10 Mistakes Job Seekers Make in the Areas of: Resumes Cover Letters and
Interviews.
Discover how to impress interviewers by learning: What
employers look for and what lands your resume in the reject pile! How to make
your resume stand out - in a POSITIVE way! Your SECRET WEAPON in job seeking! Common
cover letter mistakes that leave BAD first impressions. How to make the
employer WANT to read your resume and schedule an interview. 10 questions we
HATE and the best ways to answer them.
8794-S
Sacramento Drive, Alexandria, VA 22309.
To RSVP or for directions please Call 703-531-6380 Or send e-mail to
cynthialev@yahoo.com
