Source: US State of Pennsylvania
July 16, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA
ADVISORY – PHILADELPHIA – Shapiro Administration to Tour Philabundance Community Kitchen, Site of L&I’s Summer Employment Program Empowering Young Adults with Disabilities with Meaningful Work
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker will tour the Philabundance Community Kitchen to spend time with more than a dozen young adults who are gaining real-world work experience while also making a difference in their community. The students are employed through MY Work, a summer program for high school students with disabilities created by L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) to match students with job opportunities and work experience in their local municipalities.
Secretary Walker will also volunteer with the students as they help make sandwiches, pack meals, and label boxes as part of Philabundance’s LunchBox 2025 program, which is providing 40,000 lunches and 20,000 breakfasts to local children this summer to meet the meal gaps for students who typically rely on meals at school and are currently home for the summer with no access to school lunches.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget calls for an additional $5 million investment in OVR, which helps people of all ages with disabilities find employment through personalized services such as vocational counseling and guidance, goal setting, training, and job placement. The proposed investment would play a key role in helping OVR continue to offer the MY Work program, as well as many other crucial services.
WHO:
Secretary Walker
leaders from Philabundance
Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.
West Park Cultural Center
WHEN:
July 16, 2025, at 10:30 AM
WHERE:
Philabundance Community Kitchen
2224 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
RSVP: Media interested in attending must RSVP to dlipress@pa.gov with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team.