The clothing maker that doubles as a vocational training facility and employs 25 developmentally disabled Staten Islanders has lost "quite a bit of money," said Mount Loretto executive director Stephen Rynn. It will need to retool to exist.
Rynn said the problem was trying to operate a commercial business, and cuts in the state budget are adding to financial issues and have been for the last three years.
"We really couldn't afford to run it the way we're running it anymore," he said, noting a new plan needs to be put into effect to make the business economically sound while maintaining its mission to employ the developmentally disabled.
Possibili-Tees may have to reduce its employee number and the hours they can work, but Rynn noted all involved can remain in vocational training. Depending on the type of training they're pursuing, clients can remain in the training program for up to three years, with two of them involving a salary, explained Rynn.
Pat Festa, the mother of a 25-year-old Possibili-Tees employee, Keri Ann, was upset when she said the changes will likely affect her daughter's ability to make money from the business.
Her daughter's job involved folding shirts and moving them off of a drier after they were screened. She works part-time and has been with Possibili-Tees since its inception in 2008.
"It's a little heartbreaking for all of them," said Ms. Festa. She added that her daughter gained self-esteem and independence from working at the Pleasant Plains-based business. "She feels self-worth. She has a job. She interacts with all the other employees in the same age group. It's just a wonderful group of individuals, like a big family."
Ms. Festa said if its current model is dismantled ? which Rynn said will likely happen, possibly as early as Jan. 2 ? today ? it's a shame.
She contacted the Borough President's Office for assistance.
Borough President James P. Molinaro said the company's existence goes beyond the monetary. He explained it's important for Possibili-Tees' employees to have a place to work and goals to accomplish.
"They're losing a lot of money," said Molinaro. But he added that he was told by managers at Possibili-Tees that the business will do everything possible to retain the same employees, but perhaps to have them work fewer hours.
Molinaro said the actions are being taken with a heavy heart.
"Sometimes there's reality at the end of the day. Let's wait and see. They were very good to me in conversation, and I think they sincerely want to keep some form of a program going forward," he said.
Rynn said there's hope for the future.
"The people we hired made tremendous progress here. They changed their lives completely as a result of just working," said Rynn. "We still want to work with the people we're working with, but we need to do it in a different way."
Source: http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2013/01/staten_island_t-shirt_company.html
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