SHIRTS ‘N More is joining the Civitan Club of Wheeling in support of an innovative employment project now being developed by W.A.T.C.H. (Wheeling Area Training Center for the Handicapped).

W.A.T.C.H., a nonprofit agency providing meaningful employment to individuals with disabilities is using grants from the City of Wheeling and the state Division of Rehabilitation Services (of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts) to create a new secure document destruction service, eventually employing eleven able-bodied and disabled individuals working in an integrated setting, handling waste paper streams from state and federal agencies as well as regional businesses. According to W.A.T.C.H. officials and sponsoring agencies the project will eventually be self-sustaining economically.

Shirts ‘N More, located at 2517 Jacob St., Wheeling, is generously contributing to an effort to provide uniforms for the new W.A.T.C.H. workers by supplying embroidered polo shirts at no cost and screen-printed tee shirts at a significantly reduced cost to W.A.T.C.H. Shirts ‘N More is a full-service provider of embroidered silk-screened and team spirit clothing. The business is co-owned by Jim and Tracy Nolte.

“Even during today’s times of economic uncertainty Shirts ‘N More is committed to our community’s betterment,” Jim Nolte said. “We are most happy to be in a position to help out”.

The Civitan Club of Wheeling, which founded W.A.T.C.H. more than six decades ago and has continued its support for the agency ever since, is also making a grant in support of the effort to provide distinctive work wear to employees of the new jobs initiative.

“The Civitans are very pleased to help W.A.T.C.H. launch this new and exciting opportunity for able-bodied and disabled individuals to work together,” said James Dague, president of the Wheeling club in thanking Shirts ‘N More for their help. “This represents the best of strategies when civic organizations and nonprofit service agencies are joined by government and community business in such an effort. We hope the example of Shirts ‘N More will help stimulate other such efforts”.

Sherrie Briggs, operations manager at W.A.T.C.H., expressed gratitude on behalf of her agency, which is managed by the nonprofit Russell Nesbitt Services, Inc., both United Way agencies.

“Our employees take their work very seriously and are very proud of the jobs they do for our client agencies and companies,” Briggs said. “They will very much appreciate looking good and professional and we thank Shirts ‘N More and the Civitans for their help with our new project.”