From Basement to Business Park: Heartland Industries Is an Affton Story

The non-profit provides work for the disabled and was our nominee in the ‘Click to Claim’ contest.

In a large, clean, high-ceilinged industrial building in the Green Park Commerce Center in Green Park, 150 workers pack mailings, wrap spray cans and fill colorful rubber balls. It’s a Monday, but the workers aren’t grumbling about the start of the workweek. To the contrary. “Our cliché is TGIF, but theirs is ‘thank God it’s Monday,’” said Greg Keller, who does business development and public relations for Heartland Industries, located at 9727 Green Park Industrial Drive. Heartland Industries—previously W.A.C. Industries—is a non-profit company that aims to do more than just light manufacturing and mechanization for its customers: it’s primary objective is to provide jobs for the intellectually challenged and the disabled. W.A.C., which …

• Photos (4)

Churches, Charities and Kindnesses

Alternative Opportunities Inc. Is on the Job

Alternative Opportunities provides employment services such as assessment, job placement and job retention for hundreds of St. Louis residents.

Although it’s easy to complain about incompetent bosses or annoying projects, having a job is one of the things that gives us identity and a place in society. We may yearn for the weekend, but it can only really be enjoyed after a week's worth of hard work. Helping others achieve satisfying employment is the mission of Alternative Opportunities Inc., a nonprofit organization with offices in Affton that provides employment services to people with disabilities, among other programs. Alternative Opportunities (AO) is in the process of completing a merger with Shrewsbury-based organization Jobs and Employment Support Services (JESS). The move not only expands the services the two organizations offer to St. Louis residents, but also puts the …

• Photos (1)

Get Out

Carpentry, Ceramics and Beer Events This Weekend

From benefit auction and art exhibit to live music and beer, take your pick of what to get out of town for this weekend.

This week, we've got a good variety of activities to get you out of the house and, in some cases, out of town. Learn some carpentry projects, try your luck at a benefit auction or trivia, or check out some art, music and beer. Do you know something we don't know? Share your own events/ideas in the comments.

• Photos (1)

Churches, Charities and Kindnesses

Sunnyhill, Inc. Provides Bright Opportunities to Individuals with Disabilities

Green Park non-profit offers educational, recreational and residential services to people with developmental disabilities

Situated on the southern edge of Green Park, Sunnyhill, Inc. is a unique non-profit organization that specializes in providing residential, recreational and educational services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Serving individuals in their teens through their 60’s, Sunnyhill's services extend throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Jefferson County. In addition to the St. Louis office, Sunnyhill Campground has 60 sprawling acres of land located in Dittmer, Missouri, about an hour southwest of town. The camp provides services and recreation for groups of all abilities throughout the summer and year-round. At the core of Sunnyhill’s residential services is the supported living program for individuals with …

• Photos (1)

Churches, Charities and Kindnesses

Busy Hands and Smiling Faces at Canterbury Enterprises

Shrewsbury business offers meaningful employment to individuals with disabilities.

For over 27 years, employees at Canterbury Enterprises have been assembling, packaging, mailing, stuffing and shrink wrapping their way through the workday. What makes CE so exceptional, however, is its workforce, which is comprised mostly of individuals with significant disabilities. Located on Weil Avenue on the western border of Shrewsbury, Canterbury Enterprises' mission is "to achieve total satisfaction and produce the highest quality of work through a dedicated workforce primarily comprised of people with disabilities." An affiliate of United Cerebral Palsy Heartland, CE is one of 92 sheltered workshops in the state of Missouri. Developed in the early 1900's, sheltered workshops provide a means for individuals with disabilities to …

• Photos (3)