If we are not a Sheltered Workshop What are we?

 

Lets first define "Sheltered Workshop", Ok let's not, lets let Wikipedia to do it for us:

"In the U.S., both the term "sheltered workshop" and its replacement term, "work center," are used by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor to refer to entities that are authorized to employ workers with disabilities at sub-minimum wages.[1] The term has generally been used to describe facilities that employ people with disabilities exclusively or primarily.[2] (bolding ours)

 

We are a Manufacturing facility dedicated to the proposition that ALL adults should have opportunity to be productively employed in society and NOT dependent on some government subsidy. To that end we plan to Employ special needs Adults, at FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE, yes $10.10 per hour for all work performed. 

 

Two groups of individuals will be involved in the Manufacturing center, Mentors and Members.

 

Members are individuals of the Special Needs Adult community selected to work in Material Creation. There are many 'jobs' needed in the creation of Material, Ball Winding, Bobbin Winding, Warp Creation, Weaving, Computer Pattern Layout, Felling (the act of washing and setting the material after creation), Sewing, Ironing. Members will be assigned specific tasks based on their abilities. Training will be provided for all tasks.

 

Mentors are Volunteers, culled from many different communities. Parents and Guardians of Members, Special Needs instructors and students needing credit hours, Fashion students interested in working hands-on to create fashion material, and Weavers from all across the USA will want to 'see' and contribute time 'on loom' as there are no other installations of this technology within 1000 miles.