Westwood's Lifeworks Announces Holiday Mailing Project

WESTWOOD, MA - Lifeworks, a nonprofit human services provider that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, today announced it will assist Ballin & Associates, LLC (Ballin Law) with its 2021 holiday mailing project as part of a continuing employment services partnership with the Foxborough-based personal injury law firm.

“We are proud of, and grateful for, our relationship with Lifeworks,” said attorney Steven Ballin. “Not only is using Lifeworks a cost-effective and efficient way of handling our holiday mailing, but this also fulfills our firm’s goal of being a committed community employer by providing meaningful work opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

This marks the third consecutive year that Ballin Law has partnered with Lifeworks. The mailing project consists of filling envelopes, affixing mailing labels and stamps, and transporting the finished material to the post office.

The program will include employees from Westwood and surrounding communities, according to a spokesman.

“This project is a great opportunity for a group of people that we support to gain experience in the workplace,” said Lifeworks Job Developer Rich Donahue. “This gives the participants skills and experience to grow into permanent employment moving forward. The experience helps them understand the meaning of meeting deadlines, following directions and attention to detail – skills that are important to today’s employers.”

The Ballin Law project team consists of four workers each day, overseen by a Lifeworks job coach. The employees, who receive job training and placement services through Lifeworks Employment Services in Norwood, are paid a competitive hourly wage and the job coach is provided at no charge to the employer.

“It is wonderful to see the pride in the faces of those we serve, they know their work accomplishes their employer’s goals, and they are further developing their skill sets,” said Sarah Charbonneau, Vice President of Employment and Day Services at Lifeworks. “We welcome this opportunity with Ballin Law as well as any others from interested local companies.”

Local organizations interested in engaging the supported work services of Lifeworks to meet business demands can contact Rich Donahue at rdonahue@lifeworksarc.org; 508-404-7902.

Since 1954, Lifeworks and its predecessors, Lifeworks Inc. and The Arc of South Norfolk, have served the towns of Norfolk County and beyond by providing support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy, empowerment and opportunity.

The Westwood-based nonprofit organization serves more than 2,300 individuals from communities in the Greater Boston, MetroWest, Norfolk County and Attleboro areas through employment services; residential, family and community supports; and day programs.