team TVS - T-V-S Overcoming Challenges | Feeding Our World

“Free Spirit” artwork returns home to TVS

Nov 18, 2019 | News

Brevard, NC (November 18, 2019) – Every year the Free Rein Gala offers an opportunity for community members to participate in a silent and live auction. This year, TVS Life Skills participants created and donated “Free Spirit,” a mixed media piece of artwork. This beautifully crafted horse painting now carries a heartwarming journey.

“Free Spirit” was inspired by the fun and freedom that Free Rein provides for the TVS participants. The horse was created with different elements that relates to the experiences. The sand is representing the dusty ground, corn as a horse snack, and the feathers representing the outdoors and the feeling of flying that is experienced while riding the horses.

Each aspect of the artwork is thoughtful and expressive. “Our TVS participants greatly look forward to Free Rein each session,” said Life Skills Supervisor Suzanne Byers. “Free Rein allows us to challenge ourselves, overcome obstacles, and meet goals that everyday life experiences might not provide us the opportunity to do.”

Click here to read the full PDF or to view the Transylvania Times article.

TVS and Free Rein, a continued companionship

Nov 13, 2019 | News

For the past seven years, Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) and the Free Rein Center for Therapeutic Riding and Education have been working together to help reach the individual goals of participants and offering volunteer hours since 2014.

After several years of a successful partnership, both entities determined that sharing individual goals would allow each individual participant to see a greater gain. With the focus on shared goals, individuals have improved communications skills and their ability to advocate for themselves.

“This past year, we sat down and discussed what each side was attempting to accomplish,” said Free Rein Program Chair, Brittany McCathern. “Now we are working together to accomplish the same goals for the individuals.”

At Free Rein, TVS individuals are taught how to groom the horses prior to riding. They learn the order of the brushes and their individual purpose, along with the different parts to the saddle and in what order they are placed on the horse.

Individuals interested in riding horses are instructed by trained volunteers who walk beside the horses and assist in direction steering as needed.

Riders are prompted to communicate with their horses by giving them directions and commands. They are also asked to make different stretches while riding such as twisting to the left or right, and lifting their hands into the air.

“The exercises help with different physical components such as posture, balance, and as a way of improving environmental proprioception and feeling grounded,” said TVS Life Skills Supervisor Suzanne Byers.

There are many benefits from participating including; communication, building core strength and balance, learning to follow directions, sequencing, and listening. There is also the benefit of interacting with the horses.

“The best part is watching the progress of each individual,” said McCathern. “We have seen a couple people that only used to groom the horses, grow to where they are now riding a horse with limited to no assistance.”

After stretches and directional practices, participants ride from the barn to a special tactile obstacle course in a lower field. Riders are able to lead their horses to large games, up on wooden platforms, and through hanging pool noodles. The course offers an unique experience in a fun environment.

“I love watching individuals grow and gain skills and seeing them so happy up there on a horse,” said Free Rein Program Chair Porsha Smith. “When they look down at you and smile, that is what it’s all about.”

Please visit https://freereincenter.org/ to learn more information about Free Rein.

Written by Jenifer Welch

New TVS program for students with disabilities in full swing

Nov 2, 2019 | News

Brevard, NC (November 22, 2019) – Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) has partnered with exceptional children’s programs in Transylvania and Henderson county high schools, along with the North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to supplement job readiness training and employment-related skills in their curriculums.

The TVS program, Preparation for Employment Success, is designed to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 21. Services are designed to assist students in identifying and exploring potential career interests, as well as develop an understanding of work readiness skills necessary to be successful in the working world, or continue into higher education.

Click here to read the full PDF or to view the Transylvania Times article.

Recognizing Lechai Owen for 10 years at TVS

Oct 21, 2019 | News

“When I was first hired they sucked me in with their caring nature,” Lechai Owen said with a laugh. It has been 10 years since Lechai became part of the TVS team.

“It was such an awesome welcoming that it felt like a family. It made me want to be here, I could see and feel the values we stand for,” she said. “I am forever, both personally and professionally, appreciative of my time here.”

Lechai is leaving TVS as the Accounts Receivable Specialist. She was originally hired into payroll and billing in 2009, and has also been the customer service representative for the troop contracts.

“Lechai was a huge help with the billing of the government contracts,” said COO Becky Alderman. “Her competency made my life so much easier.”

Described as a ray of sunshine, smart and inventive, Lechai is valued by her TVS peers and supervisors.

“She is one of those people that you always count on,” said Production Scheduler and Purchasing Manager Donna Stroup.

There was one winter where Donna broke her right arm while walking her dogs and Lechai broke her left while extreme sledding. “It was a ball of fun at work,” and Lechai. “Together we made one person.”

Lechai’s other memories include Christmas parties with Santa and a hayride, dumpster diving at the warehouse, and company picnics with dunk tanks.

“I was in the dunk tank one year so my former boss, Rilla Hughart, could dunk me prior to her retiring,” said Lechai.

Before this year, Lechai organized the past company picnics with activities including; dunking booths, water balloons, and egg races.

“She is a classic pie-in-the-face kinda gal,” said Becky. “Her upbeat disposition constantly had everyone enjoying their time.”

Robin Ervin, Customer Relation Specialist said, “It doesn’t matter if it is for fun or work related, she is constantly thinking ahead.”

This current year, Lechai was the star pitcher for the TVS softball team and has participated on the company volleyball team in past years. She is also a member of the TVS book club, and has been seen around Halloween dressed up as Mrs. Potato Head or a witch.

“Lechai will forever be the original fun fairy at TVS, you know when she is in the room.” said CEO Jamie Brandenburg. “She was always pushing to be festive for the holidays and decorating the facility with Christmas lights.”

Family is an important aspect in Lechai’s life. Outside TVS, she can be found enjoying the company of her pups, Mickey and Mia.

“When she adopted Mickey, I think I began to understand what she was really made of,” said Former CEO Advisor, Nancy Stricker. “Even though it wasn’t work related, it spoke to me about her ability to be loyal and her strength to work through the hard stuff.”

Looking back on her TVS family, Lechai said, “I am most thankful for my supportive coworkers and this wonderful work family. It is the little moments that have made it awesome to work here.”

Even people who are not directly involved in any of the TVS programs have been impactful. “There is one man that calls every week to check on Robin and me,” she said.

There was one year where Lechai and Robin sent him a birthday card. When he called to thank them for act of kindness, he jokingly said, “You know Christmas is coming soon, will I get a card then, too?”

As an ambassador of TVS, Lechai has been the face a lot of clients and families have come to know over the years.

“She will be greatly missed,” said Becky. “She has seen TVS through some tough times but she has hung with it and has helped bring us to our good times.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and to be a part of this amazing company,” said Lechai. “It has humbled me.”

Written by Jenifer Welch

TVS team tours Gaia Herbs farm

Oct 2, 2019 | News

A TVS team was welcomed at Gaia Herbs farm for an educational tour of the farm on Aug. 29. TVS has worked with Gaia Herbs for around 15 years, packaging different dry herbal products.

Along with semi-automated filling and packaging of powder and capsule products, TVS also assists Gaia with more hands-on work, including assembling promotional kits. This trip allowed the TVS team a chance to see the starting point of the Gaia Herbs products prior to arriving at TVS for packaging.

“We have an excellent working relationship with Gaia Herbs,” said COO Becky Alderman. “They are a really great company to work with.” A few years ago, Gaia Herbs won the Regional Customer of the Year Award after being nominated by TVS.

“We have given a lot of farm tours this year, but this experience was truly unique,” said Farm Operations Assistant Manager and tour guide Kate Renner. “We focused on the senses of farm, and presented each plant as to how it related to what we saw, felt, smelled, and/or tasted in relation to its impact on our bodies in a simple and direct manner.”

The TVS team was divided into two small groups and took turns exploring the flower and herb garden and enjoying a hayride pulled by a tractor down into the fields.

“My favorite part of the trip was tasting the different herbs that I’ve never tried,” said Taylor. “The Bacopa leaves were my favorite because they were kind of bitter.”

The tour of the garden took the group around the farm house where inside other Gaia employees were seen working and preparing lunch before taking a turn on the hayride.

Exploring the garden and trying new herbs.

“The hayride was fun,” said Andrew. “I was raised on a farm and the hayride brought back memories of my childhood.”

The hayride left from the farm house and transported the team towards the 300 acres of fields. Riding a hayride was a new experience for some members of the TVS team.

Lining the way at the start were Ginkgo and Hawthorn trees planted on either side of the road. Everyone was educated on the different areas of the body that Ginkgo and Hawthorn benefit and also learned that the plant leaves had a similar appearance to the parts of the body it would affect.

The next stop was the greenhouse, where Bacopa plants filled the entire space. Some participants tried the leaves of the bacopa plant but the sour taste was unanimously agreed that it was not as good as the different herbs from the garden and the pears from the hayride.

Asian Pears were given to each person on the hayride. The fruit is a special type of pear that is similar to an apple in appearance but tastes like a pear. The TVS team also had the option to pick their own straight off the trees near the greenhouse.

At the furthest point on the hayride were the Echinacea fields. The pink flowers were spread across the field with beehives in the distance. Tour guide Renner pulled an Echinacea flower out of the ground by the roots to show where the benefits of Echinacea come from along with explaining the best times to harvest the roots.

The TVS groups reconvened for lunch at the beautifully renovated Gaia herbs farm house. With the two small groups back together, participants from INTERACT and Life Skills were able to say thank you to the Gaia community by performing two songs in sign language, “Bleed the Same” by Mandisa and “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz.

After the performance, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by Gaia with grilled chicken and veggies freshly grown in their garden.

“We would love to tour the other parts of Gaia that we did not get to see,” said TVS Activities Coordinator Brooke Wilson. “Every single one of our participants received such a superb level of attention and time while we were touring.”

Written by: Jenifer Welch