Gabrielle Taite

Clean Machine Laundry is offering FREE access to washers and dryers all day today and tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 29th). They’re located at 110 Cordele Rd next to the east side Walmart 🧼🧺

The Arc of Southwest Georgia and Phoebe Putney are teaming up to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities find a job!

“I think that there is kind of a big misconception that people with disabilities they don’t want to work or maybe would have a lot of challenges in the workplace. But the folks that we serve, they’re incredible," Executive Assistant for the Arc of Southwest Georgia, Elizabeth Blount (pink top), said. "They are husbands and wives, they work full-time, they drive, they live on their own independently. We’re just there to ensure that they have all of the support they need in the workplace to be successful.”

While potential employees from the Arc have to go through the same hiring process as anyone else, they’re provided with some extra help from job coaches.

Nicholas Daniel (first picture), who is on the autism spectrum, is the latest Phoebe Putney employee who was hired through the partnership. He says working in the hospital cafeteria and having a job in general has helped him grow as a person.

“I was able to try to look at people when speaking to them somewhat, trying not to slur my words, making sure when you speak, you speak with clarity and you know what you’re going to say," he said. "Also, time management, making sure you work good with others. And that even though you are apart of a team, you also have to do things by yourself.”

Daniel says the Arc has helped him with many other things such as finding housing, money management and basic living skills.

If you'd like to learn more about the program, be sur to visit https://thearcswga.org/

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Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital will be expanding even more within the next year.

One of the two major projects is the Living and Learning Center where students are scheduled to start living on campus in the fall of 2024.

“The other project is the expansion of trauma, NICU and adult ICU beds," President & CEO of Phoebe Putney Health Systems Scott Steiner said. "That’s a larger project slated the first phase will be able to move in in the fall- late summer and fall of 2024. So they’re on budget, they’re on time. And we’re just looking forward to getting them finished.”

This project is also expected to have a $400 million economic impact… something that caught the attention of many commissioners at today’s meeting.

I'm also told that the new advancements in both the Living & Learning center and the new trauma center will also create 125 to 150 new jobs for citizens of Dougherty County.

The new trauma center will be coming in July of 2024.