Updated

Updated · Glenwood Springs Post Independent · Nov 10

Mountain Valley Developmental Services Celebrates 50-Employer Inclusive Jobs Network for 40 Adults

Updated

Updated · Glenwood Springs Post Independent · Nov 10

Mountain Valley Developmental Services Celebrates 50-Employer Inclusive Jobs Network for 40 Adults

Q: How did a grieving family's tragedy reveal the hidden, extraordinary support network thriving within the Glenwood Springs community?

The McKinney family’s loss exposed a broad and deeply rooted support network in Glenwood Springs that often stays out of view until a crisis. After 17-year-old Kyle McKinney died in a fatal I-70 crash, his father, Leo McKinney, said help came not only from relatives and close friends, but from people across the community. That response included food, flowers, notes and quiet acts of care from neighbors the family had never even met. Glenwood Springs High School students, teachers, staff and administrators also rallied around the family, honoring Kyle and offering sustained emotional support. Local elected officials and public servants reached out as well, showing what the family described as unusual grace and compassion. What made the support extraordinary was its range and spontaneity. It crossed the usual boundaries of friendship, school and government, suggesting a community culture in which people step forward without being asked. Leo McKinney wrote that the kindness “came from everywhere else,” and that each gesture helped carry the family through the darkest days of their lives. The outpouring also reflected Kyle’s own place in the community. His obituary described him as someone with friends “everywhere,” a teen known for helping others, giving rides, checking on people and making them feel valued. In that sense, the community’s response was both a measure of Glenwood Springs’ compassion and a reflection of the relationships Kyle had built.

1 articles · Updated · Glenwood Springs Post Independent · Nov 10

More than 40 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are working at respectable wages through Mountain Valley Developmental Services and its network of over 50 employers across four Colorado counties.
Mountain Valley highlighted the effort as National Disability Employment Awareness Month ends, crediting employer partners and job coaches with sustaining placements through planning, communication and long-term relationships.
Several workers have held jobs for decades, including Molly, who started weaving in 1988, and Tyler, who recently marked 28 years; others work at Lowe’s, Clark’s Market, Ross Montessori School and Glenwood Springs Ford.
MVDS said the partnerships strengthen inclusion and respect in the community while also helping local businesses add dependable workers to their teams.

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Glenwood Springs Post Independent3d ago

Mountain Valley Developmental Services Celebrates Inclusive Employment Efforts

What unexpected advantages are local businesses unlocking by partnering with supported employment programs for adults with disabilities?

How did a grieving family's tragedy reveal the hidden, extraordinary support network thriving within the Glenwood Springs community?

Why could missing a crucial six-month window permanently trap seniors in expensive, medically underwritten supplemental insurance plans?

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Center100%

Glenwood Springs Post Independent3d ago

Mountain Valley Developmental Services Celebrates Inclusive Employment Efforts

Mountain Valley Developmental Services Celebrates 50-Employer Inclusive Jobs Network for 40 Adults

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