History
Founded in 1927, Life’sWork and its predecessor organizations (United Vocational and Employment Service and the Vocational Rehabilitation Center of Allegheny County) has been driven by a commitment to helping individuals facing barriers to employment find the same opportunities as others with the willingness to work.
For nearly a century, Life’sWork has embraced a broad range of individuals seeking assistance in securing meaningful work – from immigrants wanting to become part of the economic life of their new country, to veterans seeking to rejoin the workforce, and increasingly, we have focused our efforts on serving individuals with intellectual development and physical disabilities as well as other mental health challenges. In recent years, we’ve expanded our reach to help those dealing with other barriers to securing work including economic and social disadvantages that can make finding employment challenging.
Through these initiatives, we serve single parents, individuals seeking to transition off of public assistance, families in crisis, and helping at-risk youth find a new direction through work. Life’sWork empowers individuals of differing abilities to transform their own lives through unique opportunities. Throughout our history and to this day, our mission remains focused on increasing the quality of life of persons with disabilities and others with barriers to employment gain the self esteem that comes with having a meaningful job.