Heights Nonprofit Awarded Grant Money for Recycling Program

will receive a portion of a $465,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to develop a an electronic waste management program, which will bring about employment opportunities for the intellectually and developmentally disabled people it serves.

The grant was obtained by a national organization called The Arc of the United States in the interested of starting the “eXplore eRecycling” initiative. SouthSTAR is one of The Arc's ten chapters, or sub-grantees, to receive a portion of the money. 

“SouthSTAR will build upon its 62-year history of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create an electronics recycling service," said Dan Strick, CEO of SouthSTAR Services. "This new service will provide jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while creating an environmentally friendly resource.” 

The only other Illinois organization to receive some of the grant money was Kreider Services in Dixon.

“The eXplore eRecycling initiative is a wonderful chance to show how individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can excel in cutting edge jobs while earning competitive salaries. By bringing together the disability and the e-recycling communities, we hope to create more employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

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