FREE-POD Delivery Service Continues its Charitable Work for those with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
The service FREE-POD, run by individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, aims to improve the lives of those in group-home and related situations that have become harder due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
-Photo Credit: FREE
The service delivers meals and other necessities to group residences in order to ease the burden of the pandemic while gaining valuable job experience for its members.
FREE-POD was created by Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc, based in Old Bethpage. They are a non-profit organization that supports those with disabilities. Their new service FREE-POD was designed for in-house necessities delivery after the pandemic had stalled their usual delivery services.
FREE has a large distribution center that caters to over 600 individuals. These deliveries, which include food and personal equipment, are spread out through more than 100 locations from Long Island to Queens. This in-house delivery is also important to the individuals who run it, providing job training and social fulfillment in rough times.
-Photo Credit: FREE
The program is especially great for those with disabilities who lack job experience. According to FREE, the national average of unemployment for people with disabilities is more than three times the population without disabilities. This sharp metric spurred FREE into action when it came to only employing those who would benefit most from FREE-POD.
FREE supports thousands of individuals who need health aid, housing, and other key services to boost members’ quality of life and keep them thriving. They are a not-for-profit organization whose mission has served those of Long Island as well as New York as a whole since their founding in 1977.
For information on FREE, as well as how to donate or become involved with their charitable work, be sure to check out their website.
