1976
- The “Tri-County Sheltered Workshop” is founded in
Farmville as a satellite program of Lynchburg Sheltered Industries.
1982 - With the cooperation of Lynchburg Sheltered
Industries, the Farmville operation forms its own Board of Directors
and applies for 501 (c) 3 status. The new organization, The Sheltered
Workshop in Farmville, Inc. begins raising funds for a desperately
needed new building. The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors
applies for a Community Development Block Grant from the Virginia
Department of Housing and Community Development for the construction
of an 11,500 square foot facility on 19.2 acres of land donated
by the Virginia National Bank.
1990 - Management of the organization changes,
as does the name. The new name, Southside Training, Employment and
Placement Services, Inc. (STEPS, Inc.), reflects the new purpose
of the organization: to provide job training and employment opportunities
to people with disabilities. The facility’s service area is
expanded to include ten (10) counties in Southside Virginia: Amelia,
Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg,
Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward.
1997 - STEPS is presented with an opportunity
to open a facility in Victoria, VA. The Lunenburg County Board of
Supervisors offers STEPS a vacant 35,000 square foot manufacturing
facility and secures a Community Development Block Grant to renovate
the building and make it ADA compliant. STEPS leases the property
from the Lunenburg Industrial Development Authority for $1.00 per
year. The expansion into Lunenburg is also made possible through
grants from the USDA-Rural Business Enterprise Grant Fund and the
Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. These grants permit
STEPS to purchase automated equipment and are a mechanism to cover
start-up costs for the new operation.
1999 - STEPS signs a contract with the local Workforce
Investment Board for the provision of Federal Welfare to Work services.
2000
- Farmville manufacturing and job training operation relocates
into a 73,000 square foot facility in the 460-West Industrial Park.
The move to this “new” facility, made possible through
collaborative efforts with Prince Edward County, was long overdue
as the original facility was cramped and consumer waiting lists
were getting long. Once again the Prince Edward Board of Supervisors
agrees to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for the
purchase and renovation of the property. The Town of Farmville agrees
to donate all water and sewer usage for the operation. The new facility
provides an excellent environment for manufacturing as it also has
a cooling system, which the former facility lacked.
2001 - Mission statement is changed to reflect
continued focus of inclusion for all individuals regardless of their
physical, mental or economic needs: Our mission is to provide employment
opportunities and related services to individuals with diverse abilities
in our communities. Following the events of September 11, manufacturing
contracts drop off sharply. This change in the economic climate,
coupled with decreases in local donations, forces STEPS to vacate
the new building and move back to its original facility.
2002 - Economic downturn coupled with reductions
in funding to purchase job-training services, forced STEPS into
a severe deficit. Commercial sewing continues to be the area of
largest production in Farmville. In November, building on the success
of our Welfare to Work Grant, STEPS begins working even more closely
with the local Departments of Social Services. Through the provision
of a “Workplace Supports” contract, STEPS
staff provides job training, placement and support services to welfare
recipients.
In conjunction with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public
Transportation STEPS is working to solve transportation problems.
We are hopeful that this collaboration will afford the technical
assistance and access to funding to create a public transit system
in our region.
2004 - In January 2004, President Bush ended the Welfare to
Work program.
2006 - On March 20, 2006, STEPS-Farmville re-located back to their larger manufacturing facility, the former Craddock-Terry Building. In May, after four years of research, development and jumps through numerous hoops, STEPS was awarded a federal government contract to produce a fleece jacket designed specifically for the Special Operation Forces. In Summer of 2006, a regional public transportation system began operating in the Counties of Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward Counties. This public transit system, Piedmont Area Transit (PAT), is supported financially by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, allocations from the four Counties being served, a generous donation from STEPS and public fares charged to each rider.