NEWS RELEASE: Giant Eagle Receives the Champion of Inclusion Award from OOD

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities sent this bulletin at 10/02/2019 07:34 AM EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2019

Giant Eagle Receives the Champion of Inclusion Award from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

COLUMBUS, OH – Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) recognizes Giant Eagle as the 2019 Champion of Inclusion Award winner for their commitment to the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workplace, and for being a leader of diversity and inclusion best practices in Ohio. The award honors companies that have hired at least five OOD job seekers during the one-year evaluation period, and have also met specific criteria that demonstrates their level of diversity and inclusion practices for individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

“Giant Eagle is deserving of this distinction for being a model employer of people with disabilities,” said Kevin Miller, OOD Director. “Their inclusion strategy highlights the benefits of hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities.”

Giant Eagle has collaborated with OOD for several years to increase employment opportunities and job retention for people with disabilities at Giant Eagle and GetGo stores throughout Ohio. In January 2019, OOD and Giant Eagle launched a successful partnership that embeds a full-time OOD Talent Sourcing Coordinator at Giant Eagle to connect job seekers with disabilities to open positions. This OOD staff person also provides support to Giant Eagle Team Members with disabilities and their supervisors to increase retention. For more information, watch a video about the partnership.

“At Giant Eagle, inclusion and diversity is a passion. We know that employing people who are differently abled is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes great business sense. Our key to success is focusing on what people can do, rather than what they can’t,” said Jeremy Shapira, Giant Eagle Inclusion and Diversity Strategy Manager. “We wouldn’t be as successful in this endeavor if it weren’t for our strong partnership. OOD provides the candidate flow, expertise, and ongoing team member support necessary for employing as many people who are differently abled as possible.”

OOD’s Employer Partners of Inclusion Awards are a significant part of OOD’s annual business recognition program and highlight Ohio companies committed to providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. There are four levels of awards: Champion, Platinum, Gold, and Silver. At each award level, employers must meet certain diversity and inclusion criteria.

OOD also recognizes the following Ohio businesses for their commitment to providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities:

Platinum Award: CVS Health, FedEx Ground, OhioHealth, and Walgreens Distribution Center
Gold Award: Cintas, Fifth Third Bank, HCR ManorCare, Kroger, Meijer, Miami University, Renhill HR On Demand, and The Ohio State University and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Silver Award: Amazon, Aramark, Bob Evans, Cleveland Clinic, Hyatt Regency, Levy Restaurants, MaritzCX, Speedway, Synchrony Financial, Teleperformance USA, and University Hospitals

Congratulations to the OOD Employer Partners of Inclusion Awards winners. OOD offers its sincere gratitude and appreciation to all employer partners for their commitment to establishing and growing a culture of diversity and inclusion in the Ohio workplace for individuals with disabilities. For more information, visit OOD Employer Partners of Inclusion Awards.

OOD is the state agency responsible for empowering Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence. www.OOD.Ohio.Gov

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Programs provided by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) are funded, in whole or in part, with federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), OOD received 78.7% of its funding through the DOE VR grant. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019, OOD received $99,548,657 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $26,942,648. Of these federal funds, $14,932,299 is set aside for Pre-ETS. For purposes of the Supported Employment (SE) Program, the DOE SE grant funded 90% of the costs for the Supported Employment for Youth with a Disability Program up to the grant amount and 100% of the costs of regular Supported Employment program costs up to the grant amount. In FFY 2019, OOD received $297,857 for SE Youth with a Disability and State appropriated funds paid a small amount more than the remaining 10% or $33,192 of the total costs. In FFY 2019, OOD received $297,857 in regular SE grant funds. For purposes of the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Program, the federal grant received from DOE in FFY 2019 paid 90% of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2019, OOD received $1,153,208 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% required match or $130,000 of the total costs incurred under the OIB program.For purposes of the Independent Living (IL) Program, the federal grant received from HHS paid 90% of the total costs incurred in FFY 2019. In FFY 2019, OOD received funding of $640,571. Funds appropriated by the State paid 10% or $71,175 of the total costs incurred under the IL Program.