A Partnership of Opportunity Leads to Individual Growth

WOBURN, Mass. - July 9, 2015 - PRLog -- Collaboration and opportunity go hand in hand, as NuPath Inc. and the MSPCA work together to create a program that puts individuals with developmental disabilities in a position to thrive in their community.  The NuPath/MSPCA partnership brings to light a much larger issue of integration and skills training so necessary for those individuals that need support, encouraged training and social development in order to build upon their experiences and ultimately gain total community engagement.

The MSPCA at Nevins Farm, in Methuen, Massachusetts, is a unique 55-acre animal care complex that provides shelter and adoption services for both farm and companion animals.  The facility includes an exceptional equine program, including rehabilitation, adoption services, and a world-renowned equine ambulance program.  The MSPCA also promotes community outreach and education, including a popular summer camp for children; resources for pet owners who have lost a companion animal, including a cremation services and cemetery; and humane law enforcement services that uphold animal protection laws and provide care to animal victims of abuse and neglect.

Like so many non-profit organizations, the MSPCA is consistently in need of volunteer services throughout their facility and cemetery operations.  Although their volunteer base is robust, finding more regularly-scheduled help can be a struggle and this can lead to inconsistent facility maintenance, difficulties in scheduling and less than ideal use of staff time to organize and instruct volunteers.

"NuPath was able to really step up and help create a multi-beneficial program that provides on-the-job training for the individuals we support and a consistent volunteer team for the MSPCA," says Dan Harrison, President and CEO at NuPath. As part of NuPath's model for community engagement various groups were established to provide weekly and time-structured support for the MSPCA – "The result was a perfect alignment of interests (caring for animals) and employment skills training (maintenance, office duties and landscape beautification) that supports a local non-profit organization in need," says Harrison.

Harrison goes on to say, "It is our goal at NuPath to provide opportunity for the people we serve and let natural (social) supports fall into place – for example, one of the individuals participating in the program was identified as a stand-out volunteer and asked to further her training to allow her to perform additional duties at the Farm.  This was the perfect example of a young lady needing exposure to an environment in which she could learn, thrive and eventually secure employment."

For more information please visit http://nupathinc.org/