FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Press Release .pdf

PRINCETON, NJ (June 09, 2014) – Back in December, the Trenton Thunder, a minor league baseball team and affiliate of the New York Yankees, awarded Community Options, Inc. a $2,500 grant for their School-To-Employment-Program (STEP) through the 2013 Trenton Thunder Charities Community Grant Program.

Now, STEP and the Trenton Thunder are partnering up for the Thunder game on Tuesday, June 10 against the Richmond Flying Squirrels at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton, NJ. All proceeds from ticket sales through Community Options will go directly to STEP.

Sean Reese will be throwing out the first pitch. Sean is a 23-year old young man that lives in Hamilton, NJ. He currently works at Risoldis Market & Cafe in Mercerville and the Mercer County Community College cafe through the STEP program. Sean is one of highest achievers in the program.

Community Options’ STEP provides students with disabilities in New Jersey and South Carolina the chance to develop real-world work experience. STEP’s purpose is to help them transition into the work force using the skills they gain from job sampling at partnering businesses. Some include Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, RWJ Center for Health and Wellness, University Medical Center of Princeton, Mercer County Community College and YMCA. Services range from vocational assessment to interpersonal skills for achieving community-based employment. This year, Community Options served school districts in Ewing, Hamilton, Robbinsville and Metuchen.

For more information on STEP, please visit http://transitionschooltowork.org/

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For over 25 years, Community Options has developed housing and employment programs for people with disabilities. Currently the 5th largest non-profit in New Jersey, Community Options operates with a budget over $96 million and serves thousands of people with disabilities through 38 offices across 8 states. Providing advocacy assistance to empower people with disabilities, Community Options believes that all people –regardless of disability level – should live and work in the community with dignity, choice, and self-determination. A registered PVO with USAID, Community Options is also the pioneer of innovative programs for people with disabilities in the Middle East, Russia, and South America. Please visit our website at www.comop.org.