Putting Faith to Work

In January 2014, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, along with three other University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) from Kentucky, Texas and Minnesota were awarded a Signature Employment Grant from the Kessler Foundation to focus on building the capacity of faith communities to support employment for members with disabilities through the natural networks represented by congregational members. All four UCEDDs are members of the Collaborative on Faith and Disability.

In their white paper, Putting Faith to Work: The Call and Opportunity for Faith Communities to Transform the Lives of People with Disabilities and their Communities (PDF), the project partners explore practical ways that faith communities can take steps in this area. “Faith communities have the opportunity and capacity to transform the lives of many people with disabilities, their families, and their communities by helping people find meaningful jobs, assume valued roles, and share their gifts and vocation with others.”