WineBev Services of Napa Receives "No Limits" Award

WineBev Services, owned and operated by United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay, received the prestigious “No Limits Award” at the National UCP Life Without Limits Celebration. The award recognized United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay for the development of WineBev Services as a model employment program serving adults with developmental disabilities. Margaret Farman, Executive Director of UCPNB, and Mike Lisenko, President of Business Operations for WineBev Services, accepted the award as UCP celebrated their 60th anniversary at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C.
 
WineBev Services hired its first employee with a developmental disability in January 2008 and now employ 65 adults with significant barriers to employment. The production skills these employees learn include assembly-line repackaging of wine bottles including labeling, box-making, repacking, shrink-wrapping, palletizing, and shipping. Supervisors work alongside the employees to create an integrated, efficient production team.
                    
United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay was recently awarded a $65,000 grant from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to support the business development of WineBev Services. UCPNB was one of only four agencies to receive funding for a new program and was the highest ranked proposal – acknowledging the importance of the social enterprise model and the potential to replicate this model in other wine producing regions of California. With the pending purchase of their own 42,000 sq. ft. warehouse to be occupied in January 2010, WineBev Services will grow from 65 to 112 employees - with 24 adults working on-site at local wineries
 
For more information about WineBev Services, Please contact Mike Lisenko,
707-299-0856(mlisenko@ucpnb.org) or Craig Hamilton, 707-548-1640 (chamilton@ucpnb.org) See  www.ucpnb.org for brochures and information.