Drom the bustle of its burgeoning cities to the calm of its country hillsides, Chester County offers pleasant surprises at every turn, and one of them is the half-century-old Thorndale nonprofit that provides and supports employment opportunities for disabled individuals.

Handi-Crafters was recently spotlighted in Main Line Today as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“We’re a quiet manufacturing operation that’s helping so many people,” Executive Director Amy Rice said in the interview. “People are really doing something here, and so many don’t know that this world exists.”

Handi-Crafters evaluates residents’ needs, interests and potential; develops skills through on-the-job training; coordinates and helps maintain community employment; counsels about independent living; helps bridge the school-to-work transition; offers a retirement living center; and provides after-work social and entertainment options.

“We had a man with mental health issues who we helped get his GED and become forklift-certified,” Rice said of her biggest success story. “He now works in the warehouse in Home Depot.”

Rice also praised the Hankin Invitational Golf Outing, Sal’s Italian Ristorante and Pizzeria, the streets of West Chester and the county’s rolling hills.

“You can always drive 15 minutes in any direction and be in the country — it’s still the rolling hills of Chester County,” she said.

Read more about Rice and her favorite places and things to do in Main Line Today here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of Handi-Crafters here.