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Health & Fitness

The Value of Sheltered Workshops in Missouri

While in St. Louis County, I took two of my colleagues, Representatives Denny Hoskins and Tom Flanigan, to visit Lafayette Industries, a sheltered workshop that specializes in packaging services for businesses while providing full-time employment for 360 adults with developmental disabilities.

Lafayette Industries began in 1976 as a one-room packaging operation and is now a thriving business with state-of-the-art equipment and an 85,000+ square foot plant/ warehouse. Most importantly, its return on investment in human benefits and revenue is tremendous.

While at the plant, we had the opportunity to visit with many of the workers. These individuals are functioning at their highest levels on the job despite the challenges posed by their developmental disabilities. They are proud of the work they do, productive on the job, and able to perform valued tasks for the packaging business. While these individuals may be dependent in other areas of their lives, they are proud to be performing high-quality services for Lafayette Industries’ clients.

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Moreover, Sheltered Workshops are a sound financial investment for Missouri. Sheltered Workshops across Missouri receive around $24 million a year from the state but generate about $90 million in revenue and create value in workers’ lives that cannot be measured in dollars.

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