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RAHWAY – Hundreds of theatergoers were moved by a very special production of “Hairspray, Jr.” performed by the CAU Community Players, a troupe of actors both with and without developmental disabilities.
The troupe staged three productions of the popular musical at the Rahway High School Center for Performing Arts on the last weekend in June.
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ELIZABETH, NJ – Often overlooked in the national debate about the treatment of immigrants being housed at detention facilities along the Southern border and elsewhere in the nation is the treatment of immigrants with disabilities among those being detained. This past Friday a member and staff coordinator from Community Access Unlimited helped voice those concerns at a vigil held outside the Elizabeth Detention Center that drew hundreds.
Community Access Unlimited (CAU) is a Union County-based, statewide nonprofit that strives to integrate people with disabilities and at-risk youth into the general community through comprehensive supports.
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Sometimes a struggling youth simply needs the right environment and support to turn around his or her life. Alejandro Amaya has been with CAU for just about a year but has already made significant progress toward a better future. An unfortunate home life situation led Alejandro to a short stay in a youth shelter in Bergen County before being referred to CAU. Today he lives in a CAU property and has improved his independent living skills. He is working toward his GED, maintains good grades and has obtained a national certification in food handling that allows him to work in any restaurant nationally, which is his goal.
Alejandro is thankful for the support he receives at CAU, with his counselors helping him define and stay on a life path. “They give me a lot of opportunities, and every time I have an opportunity, I take it,” he said. “They help me a lot. I feel like if they weren’t helping me I wouldn’t be where I’m at now”
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More than 100 members of Union County social services nonprofits and government agencies gathered recently to learn how they can be “Doing Good Better” at the 2019 Union County Nonprofit Consortium Networking Conference, held at Suburban Golf Club in Union.
The day-long conference featured panel discussions with nonprofit leaders and presentations by nonprofit experts intended to provide attendees with helpful insights into better managing their own organizations or departments. Equally important was the opportunity for conference attendees to network and create relationships that later allow collaboration for the benefits of those they support throughout the county, according to Sid Blanchard, associate executive director of community relations at Community Access Unlimited, which each year hosts the event.
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Tonya Hopson very much looks forward to going to work at Target in Clark, where she has been employed for 12 years working in the children’s department four to eight hours per week. “I like my friends here and the customers I get to meet, the little kids who recognize me when they come in,” she said. “Some of them I’ve known since before they could walk. It really becomes a community because a lot of the customers are repeat, and they’ve gotten to know Tonya,” said Shantena Fleming, Lead Employment Specialist in CAU’s Employment Services Department, which helped Tonya secure and train for the position at Target. Tonya added that they helped her learn what to do on the job.
