Community Access Unlimited<\/a>, the organization has earned its name.<\/p>\nFounded in 1979, the nonprofit offers a wide array of resources for individuals with disabilities and at-risk youth throughout New Jersey, with a strong focus on Union County. Programs range from employment support and educational services to housing assistance, transitional support and workforce training opportunities.<\/p>\n
Through these services, Community Access Unlimited helps individuals build life skills, overcome barriers and pursue greater independence and inclusion.<\/p>\n
Bernadette Griswold joins the mission<\/p>\n
When Bernadette Griswold joined the organization more than 20 years ago, she brought experience in childhood development, education and family relations.<\/p>\n
Originally trained as a teacher, Griswold eventually realized she wanted to dedicate her efforts to supporting individuals facing the greatest obstacles.<\/p>\n
By combining her educational background with a passion for helping others achieve self-sufficiency, she has helped expand the organization\u2019s reach and impact.<\/p>\n
The numbers tell the story<\/p>\n
Today, Community Access Unlimited supports:<\/p>\n
More than 60 residential programs serving approximately 300 adults ranging in age from 22 to 92
\nMore than 60 participants through day habilitation programs
\nMore than 70 individuals through Community Based Supports
\nMore than 160 people pursuing career goals through employment services
\nApproximately 700 individuals through support coordination services
\nNearly 1,000 employees providing around-the-clock support seven days a week<\/p>\n
Behind every number is an individual story of growth, opportunity and independence.<\/p>\n
Why she does what she does<\/p>\n
When asked what motivates her work, Griswold responds without hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am blessed to come to work every day,\u201d she said. \u201cIt truly does not feel like a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
She points to moments such as helping a resident pass a driver\u2019s test, purchase a car and gain independence as reminders of the organization\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m having a difficult day, I go downstairs,\u201d she said. \u201cAll I need is a visit with our residents to feel motivated and heartened by all we can accomplish together.\u201d<\/p>\n
A lasting impact<\/p>\n
Griswold\u2019s leadership has helped strengthen opportunities for individuals across New Jersey while reinforcing the importance of dignity, inclusion and independence.<\/p>\n
To learn more, visit caunj.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Enabling independent living for all According to Merriam-Webster, the word \u201cunlimited\u201d means having no restrictions, bounds or limits…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[93155,93156,5797,93157,93158,9,24,93159,63,93160,134,136,135,40028,93161,60500],"class_list":["post-238465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-bernadette-griswold","tag-community-access-unlimited","tag-community-development","tag-housing-services","tag-independent-living","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nonprofit-leadership","tag-nyc","tag-sally-glick","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news","tag-union-county","tag-women-of-inspiration","tag-workforce-support"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}