With our Employment Grants Program, Porto Charities, Inc. hopes to support employment within the Arlington Diocese of young adults with disabilities upon graduation from school. Local donations will help us create a culture where our community values the gifts and talents of ALL of our young people and recognizes their positive impact on the workplace.

Our Employment program was recently featured in the Catholic Herald: 

"For several years, Catholic schools in the Arlington diocese worked to welcome and include students with special needs in the classroom. Now, many are hiring people with special needs, too. Zach, a 23-year-old with Down syndrome, is one of those new employees. “It makes sense that if we’re offering inclusive education in elementary and high school, then the next step would be the employment piece,” said DiPippa.

A collaboration between the Mason LIFE Program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Porto Charities, a local nonprofit that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and diocesan Catholic schools led to a pilot internship program for LIFE students during the 2019-20 school year, said Christine Fowler, Zach’s mom and a director at Porto Charities."

To read the full article, click here.

Please consider making a donation to our Employment Fund, so that we can help many graduates with disabilities get the meaningful employment they need and deserve.

Cameron Coffee and Chocolate s
Our team at Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates has just completed five years of offering handmade Belgian chocolates and other delicious products while providing meaningful employment to young adults with intellectual disabilities.  We could not continue to meet our goals without your store patronage and your financial support.
 
We continue to hire more employees with special needs, and to expand our outreach in Northern Virginia. We now sell through wine shops and local markets.  We have also started weekend sales events at community locations including Williams Sonoma and Fair City Mall.
 
Our menu of custom products for business and personal giving has expanded.  Cameron’s Chocolates gifts can help you thank your clients, encourage employees, congratulate friends and celebrate holidays.  We customize to your gift giving needs and budget.  There’s no time like the present to order your 2018 gifts, so please order soon.  I can be reached at the store at (703) 278-2627 or through email:  admin@every1canwork.com.
 
We love your patronage and we are also grateful for your direct contributions.  With your financial support, we hope to modify our flexible workspaces so that our workers can learn new skills and expand their capabilities.  We also hope to expand our workforce in 2019; your support helps us accomplish these goals.   Please consider Cameron’s Chocolates in your charitable donation planning at  every1canwork.com/donate.
 
Thank you for your support.
 
Best regards,
 
Ellen W. Graham
Co-founder