FULTON, NY – Oswego Industries Inc., has raised $670 to help fund relief efforts for the Australian bushfire crisis.
OI is a Fulton-based nonprofit agency that supports adults with developmental disabilities,
The money was raised by people with disabilities through the agency’s Caterbilities snack cart.
The cart runs every Thursday throughout the Oswego Industries facility as part of the agency’s vocational training services.
As part of the fundraiser, the cart was renamed Koalabilities for one day to raise awareness and money for the cause.
All proceeds from the day’s sales were then donated to the World Wildlife Fund.
Joy Preeman, an individual supported by Oswego Industries, talked about how the idea for Koalabilities came to be.
“It made me so sad,” she said. “We just wanted to help.”
As part of the fundraiser, Preeman accompanied the cart with a stuffed koala bear and encouraged people to donate.
Mandy Munger, a plan coordinator at Oswego Industries involved in the Koalabilities fundraiser, explained that the agency focuses on encouraging the people it supports to be proactive, engaged members of the community.
“People with disabilities are more than simply people who receive services. They care about the problems our community and our world face, and this latest individual-led initiative underscores everyone’s ability to make a difference.”
The individuals and staff who worked on the Koalabilities cart initiative chose the WWF to receive the donation because it has established a special fund to assist in the response to the bushfires.
The fund is focused on helping wildlife in crisis, restoring burnt habitat, and preventing future devastation in the affected areas.
This made the organization a natural choice to benefit from the Koalabilities fundraiser.
For more than 50 years, Oswego Industries has provided services and supports for adults with disabilities while partnering with local businesses to deliver production and workforce solutions.
Its mission is to be a partner in the development of comprehensive community services designed to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, by providing the necessary support programs to enable individuals to grow with dignity and achieve their highest level of independence and self-fulfillment.
Person-centered services include pre-vocational and vocational training, supported employment and day habilitation programs.
Its sister agency, The Arc of Oswego County, provides services to children and seniors with disabilities: together, they create a comprehensive support system for Oswego County residents with disabilities.
Find more information at www.oswegoindustriesinc.org.
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