Rep. Salud Carbajal recognized by SourceAmerica as an AbilityOne Congressional Champion of employment for people with disabilities

Congressman demonstrates commitment to supporting the AbilityOne Program

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (August 9, 2019) – Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., was recently honored as an AbilityOne® Congressional Champion of employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

SourceAmerica® distinguishes members of Congress for going the extra mile to help nonprofit agencies gain recognition in their communities or with legislative requests. Carbajal joins a list of 155 certified Congressional Champions from 41 states, as well as the District of Columbia.

In order to become an AbilityOne Congressional Champion, congressmembers must complete four steps that include visiting a contract site, purchasing AbilityOne products and showing public support for the program. To show his support, Carbajal visited VTC Enterprises’ contract site at Vanderbarg Air Force Base earlier this year. Additionally, he is a vocal advocate for the National Defense Authorization Act to set a goal for the Department of Defense to ensure that 1.5% of its contracts are with AbilityOne nonprofits.

"Congressman Carbajal has demonstrated a clear passion for helping underserved individuals with developmental disabilities. We are truly grateful for his support of organizations like VTC Enterprises and his advocacy for SourceAmerica and the AbilityOne Program," said Jason Telander, CEO of VTC Enterprises.

Each Congressional Champion receives a plaque that incorporates a commemorative coin and two personalized certificates. The awards are framed and matted by people with disabilities at Eastern Carolina Vocational Center, Inc. in Greenville, North Carolina. Once certified, members of Congress stay on the list until they leave office.

"Congressional support for The AbilityOne Program and for expanding employment opportunities for individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities is critical" said John Kelly, vice president of government affairs for SourceAmerica. "Representative Carbajal has demonstrated his commitment to not only his constituents, but to professionals with disabilities across the nation so we are very excited to recognize him as a Congressional Champion today."

The AbilityOne Congressional Champions Program was established in 2002 to honor representatives and senators who have demonstrated a commitment to constituents with disabilities and the AbilityOne Program. More information about the AbilityOne Congressional Champion Program is available online.

About SourceAmerica
Established in 1974, SourceAmerica creates employment opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with disabilities. SourceAmerica is the vital link between the federal government and private sector organizations that procure the products and services provided by this exceptional workforce via a network of approximately 575 community-based nonprofits. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, SourceAmerica provides its nonprofit agency network with business development, contract management, legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful nonprofit management. Visit SourceAmerica.org to learn more, or follow us on Facebook (@SourceAmerica), Twitter (@SourceAmerica) and LinkedIn (@SourceAmerica).

About VTC Enterprises
VTC Enterprises is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their life goals. VTC has served the Central Coast of California since 1961 and provides strong advocacy, employment opportunities and life skills training for the over 350 individuals with disabilities that it serves annually.

About the AbilityOne Program
The AbilityOne Program is one of the largest sources of employment in the United States for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Approximately 45,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities, including approximately 3,000 veterans, are employed at approximately 500 nonprofit agencies nationwide, across 15 time zones, from Maine to Guam. AbilityOne provided more than $3.3 billion in products and services to the federal government in fiscal year 2018. The Program operates at more than 1,000 locations, representing 40 government agencies, including more than 150 Base Supply Centers at military and government installations.