They're not speeding down the highway. They are taking a measured, steady hands at the wheel approach to assisting differently-abled people in the greater Laurens County community to seize their opportunities and live their best lives.
The Laurens County Disabilities & Special Needs Board took time this morning (March 25) to thank all its community partners for their efforts in this work. That includes job sites for 35 individuals who have gainful employment within the community. They take those opportunities and live on their own or in 19 residential services locations supported by 106 individuals. It's all part - but just a part - of the $13.5 Million agency that is the Laurens County Disabilities & Special Needs Board.
Executive Director Jason Tavenner introducted members of the volunteer board that sets policy for the agency and facilitated presentations about the agency's human rights board, its review of 2024, and its goal-setting for 2025. Most of all, he said, the agency wants in this new year to make the community much more aware of its new branding and its wide-ranging services.
LCDSNB presents one award. It is named for an exceptional individual contributor to the success of differently-abled individuals. This year's Von Sinclair Award for Advocacy & Service goes to Tori Bennett, for her efforts in spearheading very successful Christmas activities for the LCDSNB service-consumers.
"She's already working on Christmas, 2025," Tavenner said.
Tavenner said the agency is focused on person-standard services and has 30 people in job preparation and ready to go to work for willing community partners - 72 people work at the agency's Evergreen Skills center, on Torrington Road between Clinton and Laurens, and these are part of the 460 case-study individuals that the agency supports through offices in Laurens, Greenwood, and Newberry.
Much more information from this community-event breakfast - themed "What's your drive in 25?" and staged at the beautifully-appointed Palmetto Room in Downtown Laurens - will be in the April 2 issue of The Clinton Chronicle.
More about the LCDSNB here.
