Bridging the employment gap for adults living with disabilities

NW Works is a 501(c)(3) non-profit striving to bridge the employment gap for people with disabilities and others facing barriers to meaningful employment. We believe there is Empowerment Through Employment and that everyone deserves the opportunity to work.

A man in a blue sweatshirt and jeans stands smiling while holding a rake. He has on work gloves and is wearing a hat.

NW Works at 55: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Shaping the Future 

This year, NW Works proudly celebrates 55 years of service, growth, and community impact. Since opening our doors in 1970, we've transformed from a small workshop into a leading provider of inclusive employment and day support services for adults with disabilities in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. What started with just five individuals has grown into a vibrant network of over 230 people served, and countless lives touched. Alongside more than 55 dedicated business partners, we’ve built a community where individuals with disabilities are not only included, but celebrated. From regular community inclusion to earning meaningful wages and building lasting connections, the journey has been remarkable—and our future holds even more promise.

A woman adjusts long green boxes on a pallet in a warehouse at Trex, Inc. The woman is wearing a tie dye shirt, mask, and gloves.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower adults with disabilities and individuals with barriers to employment to build skills and secure and sustain meaningful employment. Our mission, our vision, and our values guide our organization in all that we do.

Testimonials

  • A young black woman with short brown hair sits at a plastic picnic bench. She is wearing a gray tie dye short sleeve shirt. In the background there is a blurred out tree and a wheelbarrow.

    Before I had a job I was cleaning around my house, but I needed something else to do. Work helped me stay focused and have something else to do. I wanted to try something different and now I’m just trying things out.

    Tashique, NW Works Participant

  • A young woman with glasses and dark hair dumps a clear bin of tomatoes in to a smaller red felt bin. She is looking at the tomatoes and smiling.

    NW Works has brought new experiences for me like the garden… it’s my favorite thing. I can do things by myself sometimes. I have a good path. I’ve enjoyed it so far!

    Stephanie, NW Works Participant

  • A young man is bent over a wooden cafeteria table and is wiping down the table with a white rag. The man is wearing a blue Sodexo short sleeve uniform shirt.

    “Through Project SEARCH I learned how to do different jobs, which was good. I liked the people and different experiences. I’m enjoying my job now.. I get right to it and I do a good job. I’m making sure that every student has a clean environment.”

    Peter, NW Works Participant

Read More about the NWW Impact

Make an Impact

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Giving online has never been more secure, convenient or hassle-free with our one-click donation. We also accept standard cash and check donations.

A raised hand is shown and it is outlined in white. There are small dashes coming off the hand.

You can get involved today by becoming a volunteer. Sign up and you will be joining a group of change-makers, a network strong enough to impact positive change in the lives of the adults we serve.

Two hands are shown clasped together in a handshake. There is a briefcase above the hands. Everything is outlined in white.

The individuals we serve just need an opportunity to showcase their skillsets, like any other prospective employee. Contact us today to hire a valuable addition to your team.

What People Say

  • We feel very fortunate to have these hardworking individuals from NW Works as part of our team… The labor market is incredibly tight and competitive right now, so the employees who come to us from NW Works have become an essential part of our day-to-day operations.

    Zachary Lauer, Trex Company Vice President

  • Your mission is people, progress and success. How could people not want to support that?

    Lori Eversole, NW Works Donor

  • I dearly love working there. […] All the staff, no matter what our handicaps are, they’ve always treated me like a human being.

    Lois E., Former NW Works Participant

  • There’s never any doubt in my mind and never has been that the clients come first at NW Works […]They do a tremendous service and for the community as well, not just for the clients and the families.

    Andrea Koenker, NW Works’ Parent and Board Member

  • We laugh together. We try to cheer each other up, calm down when you’re mad, calm down when you’re sad. Be brave, be yourself. You don’t have to be anybody but yourself here.

    Sarah L., Former NW Works Participant

  • What all of us here […] want is to somehow be able to lift this burden from the shoulders of our friends who come to NW Works every day. To allow them access to their dreams to be happy, to have a fulfilling life. To feel important, to have purpose, to be self-reliant. To have a social life if that’s what they want, and to feel valued: as friends, colleagues, and members of the community.

    Richard Kozlow, Former Chair of the NW Works Board of Directors

  • "He loves being there and talks about everyone all day long when he's home! You all have given him an opportunity of a lifetime since he was accepted to NW! This has been such a wonderful experience for him and I'm so thankful for all of it!"

    -Family Member of Program Participant

  • "Ever since my son received a job coach, he's succeeded in everything. His job coach is changing lives. She follows through, is caring, and conscientious... I could go on and on. We've really lucked out with a job coach."

    Parent of a Program Participant