ORLANDO – With only 30 percent of working age Floridians with disabilities employed, The Family Café is committed to connecting the families it reaches with resources that can help them find and maintain meaningful employment. That’s why The Family Café is excited to have joined forces with CareerSource Florida to make the Employment Expo part of the Exhibit Hall at The 16th Annual Family Cafe at the Hilton Orlando June 6-8.

Workforce professionals from the statewide CareerSource Florida network will be on hand to help facilitate a relationship between individuals with disabilities and potential employers.

“Finding employment is so important for people with disabilities, not just for financial reasons, but also for the sense of purpose and well-being that comes from having a job,” said Family Café President and CEO Lori Fahey. “We want to help our attendees develop job-seeking skills, while also getting employers to see people with disabilities as a great source of labor.”

Dwayne Ingram, chairman of the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors, said, “We are excited to be part of The Annual Family Café and look forward to connecting people with disabilities and their families to the many employment and training resources available statewide through the CareerSource Florida network. As a parent of a child with disabilities, I sincerely appreciate the value of the expertise and support provided at Family Café, and as a business owner, I applaud the participating employers who are providing attendees with opportunities to excel in the workplace.”

This year’s Employment Expo will bring attendees into contact with a number of businesses and agencies that can provide them with employment resources, advice on job-seeking skills and information about available positions. Participating organizations and employers include the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, CareerSource Florida, Cole Engineering, the Department of Economic Opportunity, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Lockheed Martin, Mary Kay Cosmetics, the Orlando Medical Center, The Krystal Company, the Social Security Administration, Universal Orlando Resort and the Walgreens Distribution Center.

CareerSource Central Florida, serving the Orlando area and surrounding counties, provides multiple resources and staff, including Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists, who work directly with expo participants and connect them with current employment opportunities, assist them with job searches and training, and provide resume assistance and interview training.

“The Family café is a wonderful example of what can happen when community comes together for a common goal – bringing talent and businesses together,” said CareerSource Central Florida President and CEO Pamela Nabors. “Sometimes they need help finding the right fit, and that’s why we’re here – to help them find each other. And Family Café provides an excellent venue for that to happen.” 

The Family Café has been connecting Floridians with disabilities and their families with information, training and networking opportunities since 1998. Its signature event, The Annual Family Café, includes dozens of breakout sessions, a series of engaging Keynote presentations and an Exhibit Hall that showcases dozens of vendors. The 16^th Annual Family Café, which will be held June 6-8, 2014 at the Hilton Orlando, will host more than 6,000 registered attendees, and feature an appearance by Governor Rick Scott at The Annual Summit on Disabilities. For additional details, visit www.FamilyCafe.net.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “We are so grateful for all of our partners, especially CareerSource Florida and Family Café, for all of their hard work and dedication in promoting job opportunities for all Floridians. It is an honor be a part of the Family Café Employment Expo and to work with this organization to help Floridians with disabilities find meaningful employment in our state.”

The CareerSource Florida network of workforce professionals is dedicated to helping all job seekers connect with opportunities and job success. These professionals work closely with employers to identify opportunities for job seekers with disabilities and to connect job seekers with the training and education they need to succeed. For more information, please visit careersourceflorida.com.

The Family Café and CareerSource Florida share the belief that individuals with disabilities deserve to enjoy the many benefits of participating in the workforce. Both organizations look forward to developing their partnership, and working together to help Florida’s economy benefit by accessing the untapped resource of employees with disabilities.

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Contacts:
CareerSource Central Florida: Larry Krause, LKrause@CareerSourceCF.com, 407-342-1953
The Family Café: Jeremy Countryman, jcountryman@familycafe.net, 888-309-CAFÉ (2233)