News
Opportunities for people with a disability
July 23, 2010
Tahu and Mannah make big impact on fans with disability
Parramatta Eels stars Timana Tahu and Tim Mannah can certainly thrill a crowd, but not many have probably been as excited as the group at Endeavour Foundation Industries Seven Hills.
The 100 employees - all people with a disability - were exceptionally eager to get to work on Wednesday 21 July, to rub shoulders with their League heroes, who paid them a special visit.
Timana and Tim took time out from training for that Friday’s heavily anticipated clash against arch-rivals the Bulldogs to visit EFI Seven Hills for a tour of the site, which employs 100 people with a disability.
Players met supported employees, signed autographs and posed for photos with supported employees, many of whom are keen followers of Rugby League.
"We have quite a few sports fans and League fans in particular - they couldn’t wait to meet the players," said Seven Hills business manager Michael Carney.
"There were certainly more than a few employees excited about coming to work on Wednesday to meet them," Michael said.
Two very eager supported employees were Kevin Morrison and Michael Dionysopoulos, who follow the sport intently.
"This was the best way to end an open day," said Kevin, of the Eels’ visit, which followed the EFI Seven Hills’ open day for members of the public to see the site and learn about Endeavour Foundation.
"We live in the Parramatta area and I am a huge Parra supported so it was great to get to meet Tim and Tamanu. It brought a big smile to my face and it was a privilege to get my Jersey signed and my photo taken with the boys."
Colleague Michael was just as impressed.
"It was such a surprise when Tim and Tamana came up to me in the bottling room. It was so good to speak to them face-to-face. Timana, my idol, even asked me questions about my job. Mum even recorded me on the news as a souvenir. I will be a Parramatta supporter forever. I hope they make the Grand Final."
And it seems the supported employees had just as big an impact on their heroes.
"Meeting the supported employees was great. They’re all so passionate about life," said Tim.
Endeavour Foundation Industries has three sites in Sydney – Seven Hills, Mt Druitt and Castle Hill — which were acquired from the insolvent Cumberland Industries, thus saving nearly 500 local jobs.
Seven Hills, also known as Clean-Pac Services, is one of the largest contract packaging companies in Australia.
Supported employees at the site primarily fulfil pharmaceutical and veterinarian packaging contracts, carrying out tasks such as blistering, bottling, hand assembly tasks, shrink wrapping and flow wrapping.
Endeavour Foundation is the largest employer of people with a disability in Australia, with more than 1,800 supported employees working at 26 sites throughout Queensland and New South Wales. All proceeds go to providing accommodation, education and employment opportunities to people with a disability.
See also:
Photo Gallery - Parramatta Eels at Endeavour Foundation, Blacktown Advocate, 23 July 2010
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