Event to Honor Those Who Hire Disabled

A breakfast Thursday in North Hills will honor more than 30 major Southland corporations for hiring workers with disabilities in the past year.

The second annual Employer Awards Breakfast, sponsored by New Horizons, will be held at Sam’s Cafe, where New Horizons’ clients learn restaurant job skills.

Brenda Premo, director of California’s Department of Rehabilitation, will be the keynote speaker.

New Horizons, officially known as the San Fernando Valley Assn. for the Retarded, has provided aid and training to people with developmental disabilities in the region for more than 40 years. The program is collaborating with 12 other regional agencies to sponsor the breakfast.

“One of the main goals of the breakfast is to raise the public’s awareness about the abilities of our clients,” said Joe Chu, director of development and marketing for New Horizons. “We also want to work closely with the business community because we believe that when supported, our people can really make a difference.”

In a training program sponsored by the organization, local businesses and New Horizons work together to place individual members or groups with jobs. New Horizons then provides a job coach who assists the disabled worker.

“Of course, I can’t speak for all of the businesses that we have worked with,” Chu said, “but the reaction we’ve gotten has been very positive.”

Chu said New Horizons’ work-training programs currently serve more than 500 people in the area.

Thursday’s breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. at Sam’s Cafe, 15725 Parthenia St. For more information, contact Chu or Sue Brown of New Horizons at (818) 894-9301.