Each year ReEmployAbility’s Transition2Work® program connects thousands of national and local not-for-profit organizations throughout the U.S. with injured employees who are able to perform light duty work. Program participants provide much-needed assistance to help these organizations achieve their valuable service initiatives. In 2017 alone, participants in the program working at not-for-profits had an estimated economic impact valued at over $47 million at a variety of philanthropic organizations around the country.This estimate is based on the value of an hour of volunteer time published by www.independentsector.org and used by the U.S. Government agency, Corporation for National and Community Service.
ReEmployAbility’s nationwide not-for-profit partner network is more than 35,000 strong and includes a broad range of organizations such as those supporting disaster relief, social issues, and veterans. To date, Transition2Work participants have contributed over 6 million volunteer hours to local & national not-for-profit organizations across the country.
Injured workers who participate complete a variety of light duty assignments that are within their medical restrictions while at their local not-for-profit. These assignments are an extension of their employer’s return-to-work program and ensure the injured worker remains connected to their employer and their community. Participants perform duties such as greet guests, sort donations, prepare meals, and assist with administrative tasks. Often, participants complete special projects that the not-for-profit would not otherwise have had the time or resources to accomplish.
“Our ReEmployAbility volunteers have helped tremendously around the office,” said Executive Director of the Northern Minnesota chapter of the Red Cross, Dan Williams. Injured workers have helped the Red Cross chapter with everything from disaster relief to military support. “A program we’re proud of is our Holiday Cards for Heroes,” said Williams. “[Injured workers and other volunteers] collect holiday cards from around the country and distribute them to active duty military and veterans.”
Williams said he feels that injured workers are more likely to recover quicker if they are up and moving and helping in their community is a great bonus. “They know they are making a difference and it shows in their interactions every day.”
Ashlee Sang, Communications and Procurement Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity ReStore in McLean County, Illinois said, “Our relationship with ReEmployAbility has been great and hopefully mutually beneficial. We always appreciate an extra set of hands, especially from skilled workers who may not be able to carry out their day jobs but can contribute greatly to our daily operations.”
ReEmployAbility was founded fifteen years ago based on a passion for helping injured workers return to work and a vision to transform the way employers and insurance carriers approach return-to-work programs. ReEmployAbility believes in the value of return to work as the single most important factor that will drive success in a workers’ compensation program. The Transition2Work® program has operated for over a decade to engage employees in their local community while they recover from an injury or disability.
By combining business and community, ReEmployAbility provides simple, fast, safe return to work solutions to help control the rising costs of workers’ compensation and non-occupational disability while positively influencing the lives of injured workers. Everyone benefits – the injured employee, the community, employers, and carriers!
If you are interested in becoming a part of ReEmployAbility’s not-for-profit network, contact Not-For-Profit Partner Coordinator, Nikki Whitehead, at 813-261-3140 or email her at nwhitehead@reemployability.com.
