The beginnings

In over six decades of operation, The Workshop of Davidson has served over 4,000 people with disabilities. The organization has and continues to be a proactive advocate for adult individuals who have disabilities.

In 1964, the Workshop’s founder, the late Sarah Bray, and others, saw the need for a program that would benefit people with developmental and physical disabilities in Davidson County. The original group of 17 assembled other interested Davidson County residents and organized the Workshop. The organization was founded with its incorporation May 22, 1964. The first meeting of the incorporators was July 16 of that year.

The original name for the organization was the Sheltered Workshop for the Handicapped, Inc. Under the urging of Dr. John W. Varner, the name was changed on July 1, 1975 to the Davidson County Sheltered Workshop, Inc. and later changed to The Workshop of Davidson, Inc. It was the first facility for Mrs. Bray who went on to organize 18 vocational units in the state. In 1964, the Workshop’s first location was in a rented mobile home with less than 500 square feet. There were seven clients with Bray serving as the first Administrator and instructor along with one volunteer, Regina Burkhart. After a local minister and volunteers worked to convert a nearby rented building on Highway Business 85 into usable space, the staff and clients moved into that facility in 1965.

Growth and New Facilities

The next administrator, the late Mr. Carrol Gantt, took over the leadership of the Workshop in 1966 and with community and state funds, led the organization to its current location at 275 Monroe Road. Land for the facility was leased from the Davidson County Board of Education. The Workshop experienced further expansion in 1973 with the addition of more production area, a cafeteria and a classroom annex. Offices for Community Employment Services Specialists, also known as Job Coaches, were added as well.

With humble beginnings, the Workshop began a partnership with local men’s and women’s group homes about the time the organization came into being. After a series of moves and changes in the make-up of the facilities, both homes were merged with the Workshop by a vote of the Board of Directors in February of 1968. Both homes were licensed in 1982 by North Carolina DHHS and were staffed with house managers. These facilities now provide a home for six men and six women, most of whom take part in Workshop programs throughout the week.

Expanding Services and Impact

With a bequeathed gift from the Nora Venable Estate in the late 90’s, a 5,000 square foot warehouse, the Venable Building, was dedicated in November of 1999. This modern building, complete with a loading dock, increased the total square footage of the three Workshop facilities to almost 20,000 sq. ft. With the expanded vocational training areas, the Workshop was now beginning to add to its list of contract customers. Some of the early jobs included furniture repair and finishing, along with upholstering and sewing. Currently, more than 20 companies from the surrounding area, utilize the Workshop consumers for a variety of different contracted jobs, such as small parts assembly, sorting, gluing, folding, packaging, labeling and more. With an increase in work training came growth in successfully placing individuals in competitive integrated employment with on-site job coaching and long-term follow-up.

After over four decades of service to the Workshop, Carrol Gantt retired in 2011, followed by Mike Foster who served as Executive Director from 10-2011 to 2018. Since 2019 Kara Cody has served as the current Executive Director, continuing the tradition of not only quality services, but the positive work and training environment the Workshop has been known by for years, assisting its participants to flourish in their personal growth.

Today

Currently, The Workshop of Davidson, Inc. contracts with several LME/MCO’s and the NC Department of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (EIPD) (formally Vocational Rehabilitation) to provide an array of service options such as Residential Supports, Innovations Day Supports/job coaching, the Adult Development Vocational Program (ADVP), Long Term Community Supports (LTCS), 1915i Supported Employment, Long Term Follow Up, EIPD; Work Adjustment and Supported Employment Job Coaching .

The Workshop is accredited in seven employment and community services by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Services. The programs accredited include two Community Employment Services; Job Development and Employment Supports. The other service programs are Community Integration, Employee Development, Employment Planning, Organizational Employment, and Community Housing. Accreditation was first received in October of 1997 and has been renewed every three years since. The Workshop has continued to this day to grow in size and scope with the services offered to its consumers.

For many, the Workshop provides more than a job or a means to earn a wage; it represents an opportunity to gain self-sufficiency, personal growth and a sense of self-worth that many persons served would be unable to obtain without the organization. The Workshop of Davidson, Inc. thanks you for your support throughout the years and we look forward to serving Davidson County for many years to come.