King County Rotary Partners for Work Project

King County has implemented a community development initiative that creates meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) by working collaboratively with Rotary Clubs throughout King County. Partners for Work (PFW) is a Rotary District 5030 project that creates employment opportunities for individuals with DD by utilizing Rotarian business leadership as a vital link between job candidates and paid work. Partners for Work was developed by the Auburn Rotary Club in 2003 and has expanded throughout western Washington as a viable program that assists employers in gaining access to this talented, untapped workforce. The target population is individuals who are over 18 years of age who have DD and want to work. Here is a link with more information about the Rotary District 5030 project: http://rotary5030.org/projects/partners-for-work.

King County has contracted with the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WiSe) to implement the PFW project in King County and Debbie Moore from WiSe is the PFW Coordinator. Debbie works with Rotary Clubs throughout King County and members to: identify and develop local Rotarian leadership and involvement; identify potential employment opportunities and potential employees to fill those positions; provide ongoing support to both the employer and employee; coordinate on-the-job supports with community employment agencies who provide supported employment; and facilitate relationships between employers and employees with and without DD. For more information, please contact Debbie at partners@rotary5030.org.