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The Louise W. Eggleston Center was first conceptualized by a group of interested parents who met in different homes to find ways of helping their children who suffered from mental retardation or cerebral palsy.
In August of 1955, a Board of Directors was chosen and the Center was incorporated as the Tidewater Vocational Center (TVC), a not for profit organization which would provide sub contract work for local industries. Operations began at 621 Botetourt Street, in Norfolk, Virginia with eight employees in attendance.
By 1965, as the Center celebrated its 10th anniversary, many changes had taken place. The Center moved to a larger location, a parent’s auxiliary had been formed, training activities included gardening, printing and laundry services. There were 80 employees in attendance. Funding had also been obtained to start a halfway house.
Although the Center was initially created to serve only individuals with mental retardation and cerebral palsy, it was decided in March of 1968 that the Center would begin accepting individuals with physical impairments as well.
During the 70’s the following occurred; TVC had started a food service and service station training program, training centers were started in Portsmouth and Chesapeake, and the Center celebrated its 20th anniversary. Mrs. Louise W. Eggleston donated the building, which presently houses the administrative offices and laundry, to TVC. There were over 100 employees that worked at the Center.
In the early 80’s The Eggleston Center offered five program choices, Enclaves, Workshop, Life skills/Work Adjustment Training, Contract Procurement and Job Placement. These five programs combined, serviced 156 persons with disabilities and were supported by 29 staff members. Individual Written Rehabilitation Plans (IWRP’s) were developed for all employees.
The 30th anniversary of The Eggleston Center was celebrated by the receipt of two awards; “The Most Valuable Facility to the Association” award and “The Small Vocational Facility of the Year” award both from the Virginia Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.
To honor Mrs. Eggleston, the Center officially changed its name from Tidewater Vocational Center to The Louise W. Eggleston Center.
During the rest of the 80’s, The Louise W. Eggleston Center continued to expand. The Center was now operating a deli, providing food distribution to the area’s poor, providing custodial services to the Virginia Zoological Park, and packaging services to Wesley International and Procter and Gamble.
In 1990, the Center was awarded two NISH (National Industries for the Severely Handicapped) contracts; the first at Langley Air Force Base providing commissary shelf stocking responsibilities and the second at Portsmouth Naval Hospital providing food service duties for patients and hospital personnel. The procurement of these two contracts was the beginning of a long and profitable relationship with the Federal Government.
In response to a growing need for more technical positions, the Center became a franchise of Cartridge King; a facility based operation recharging toner cartridges in 1991.
In 1992, two additional NISH contracts were awarded to the Center, the first at Naval Station Galley providing food service responsibilities for the primary galley at the Naval Station, Norfolk Naval Base and the second, a laundry operation providing laundry service to Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
In August of 1993, the Center was approached by the Army Corps of Engineers to take over mailroom operations at its Norfolk location.
The expansion of services offered by The Louise W. Eggleston Center continued through 1994 and 1995. The Center now has a total of four NISH contracts still in operation, three specialized services programs, a business services division and a community-based division, which includes a supported employment model and an individual model.
In 1997, The Louise W. Eggleston Center began trading as Eggleston Services as a result of continued expansion of all of our services, to both businesses and the rehabilitation community.
In January of 1998, Eggleston Services purchased and began moving into a new location on Tidewater Drive. This building now houses the Business Fulfillment Center, Specialized Services and the Employment Service Division of Eggleston Services.
In addition to the expansion of the current programs, the Tanner’s Creek Project, a joint horticultural program with the Virginia Zoological Park opened in the spring of 1999. That same year, Eggleston Services joined with Civitan Acres for the Disabled, Inc. to enhance opportunities for citizens with disabilities by offering vacations and other specialty services at Civitan Acres, a 14-acre resort and wellness facility located in scenic Chesapeake, Virginia.
Eggleston Services is continuing to grow. In September of 2001, Eggleston Services moved its administrative staff and laundry operations into its new corporate headquarters at 1161 Ingleside Road in Norfolk, Virginia. The addition of several new government contracts enabled Eggleston to double the size of its laundry operation and offer additional employment opportunities to disabled persons in the community.
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