Distinguished Service Award Nomination

In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) is nominating Michelle Reeves for the 1997 Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Reeves coordinates the Volunteer Mailroom, a program that works with volunteers with various disabilities to complete projects for TDH and other state agencies.

The Volunteer Mailroom, a program of the Texas Volunteer Health Corps, serves as an opportunity for volunteers with disabilities to polish work and social skills, build on strengths, identify and adjust to limitations, interact with others, and learn to become independent. The Volunteer Mailroom also serves as a learning center for individuals interested in becoming job coaches. In this capacity, community volunteers have the opportunity to guide, direct, and evaluate the volunteers and their work performance. For community volunteers pursuing a career in working with people with disabilities, this practical experience in job coaching is coupled with guidance in career development.

Michelle Reeves directs a program where people with a broad range of disabilities interact. Organizations serving people with disabilities are eager to involve their clients and students because of the excellent social and skill building opportunities. Under Ms. Reeves' guidance, the Volunteer Mailroom works with Austin High School, Austin Resource Center for Independent Living, Austin-Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Baker Secondary School, Barton Junior High School, Columbia/St. David's Pavilion, Concordia University at Austin, Crockett High School, Doubletree Foundation, Inc., Draco Residences, Inc., Goodwill Industries Summer Youth Program, Hays High School, Healthcare Rehabilitation Center, Heartland Health Care Center, LBJ High School, Manor High School, McCallum High School, Rosedale School, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Texas School for the Deaf, Texas Youth Commission, Travis High School, and Westlake High School.

The accomplishments of the Volunteer Mailroom have reached new heights under Michelle Reeves' coordination. Currently more than 200 volunteers process and assemble an average of 38,000 pieces of mail for more than ten different state and local agency programs each month. Their efforts contribute cost savings to the state at an average of $7,000 a month. Many students, too medically fragile to travel to the Volunteer Mailroom, complete their projects in their classrooms at school. These off-site volunteers account for nearly 50% of the 200 volunteers.

Michelle Reeves is a strong and passionate advocate for people with disabilities. She celebrates the accomplishments of people with disabilities when proclaiming the outstanding results of the Volunteer Mailroom, which expands the understanding of what people with disabilities are capable of doing when given the opportunity. Ms. Reeves is replacing stereotypes and discomforts with understanding and advocacy. Her actions are breaking new ground as many programs are working with people with disabilities for the first time. Ms. Reeves uses many techniques to recruit new advocates in programs and break down traditional barriers to employment such as submitting articles to internal publications, frequently giving tours of the Volunteer Mailroom to agency staff, reminding programs how their orders were filled while collecting project evaluations, sending broadcast E-mails, and asking pleased customers, schools, and individuals to spread the word about the Volunteer Mailroom.

Michelle Reeves is key to the personal growth of the volunteers in the program. The Volunteer Mailroom is structured as a part of participating schools' training curricula. Ms. Reeves works with school staff to set short and long term goals for students. She evaluates the skill development of the volunteers and continually reshapes the volunteer experience to encourage the growth of social and work skills. Ms. Reeves is always patient and cheerful with the volunteers, motivating them to reach their full potential.