The Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce’s October “Business After Hours” — a networking event held at a different business in the area each month — was hosted Thursday by KELA/KMNT radio to highlight its “Wheels of Hope” campaign to assist nonprofits, this time supporting Lewis County Work Opportunities.
Attendees listened to a brief talk from director Greg Martin on Lewis County Work Opportunities, which has been helping disabled adults in Lewis County secure training or work since 1971.
“We're going on 51 years. And it never would have happened without everybody in this community supporting the work that we tried to do for the adults with disabilities in the community,” he said. “Its sole purpose was to find and help adults with disabilities, help them get jobs to become stabilized.”
Martin said the nonprofit knew of at least 3,000 adults in the county currently suffering from some kind of disability.
The Wheels of Hope program will aim to support the organization’s mission.
“Essentially we’re doing an item drive for them where people bring in anything that they can to different drop points that we’re going to have throughout the next two weeks,” said Austin DeBolt, a KELA/KMNT account executive. “We wanted to get them a car, but due to supply chain stuff with COVID, we were not able to. But we didn’t want to let that stop us from helping them.”
Lindy Waring, of KELA/KMNT, added: “I’m so happy that we chose (Lewis County Work Opportunities). And to shed light on what they do in the community and all the work, it’s amazing.”
The program will run until Dec. 10 and end with the radio station’s annual food drive at Fullers Shop’n Kart. Donations can be made in person at the station at 1635 S. Gold St., Centralia, or online at lcwo.org. The first drop point will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, at Century 21 Lund Realtors at 1169 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis.
Listen to KELA for upcoming announcements of future donation drop points or call 360-736-3321.
