Community Activities Program at VOC

Community Activities Program at VOC Community Activities Program Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee, Inc.

is a community rehabilitation program that provides services to the people of Cherokee and the surrounding community. The community activities program provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities. These services are meant to increase self-sufficiency in life activities that such as the development/growth of independent living skills, community and social inclusion activities, health and safety, and vocational training. We achieve these goals through a variety of classes, trainings, community outtings, trips, work opportunities, and much more. For more information on this program, contact Magda Sanders, Program Services Coordinator or Kimlyn Lambert, Executive Director at 828-497-9827.

We’re so proud of Destyni, Thomas, and Chris participating in SCC’s Crossover Program! It’s Desi’s first year but she’ll...
08/19/2026

We’re so proud of Destyni, Thomas, and Chris participating in SCC’s Crossover Program! It’s Desi’s first year but she’ll do just fine with mentors like Thomas and Chris helping her along the way.

We are incredibly proud of the dedicated members of our competitive integrated employment (CIE) workforce who are workin...
08/18/2026

We are incredibly proud of the dedicated members of our competitive integrated employment (CIE) workforce who are working hard in our housekeeping department!
Casey (lead), Will, and Joshua bring reliability, determination, teamwork, and pride to their jobs every day. They are building skills, contributing to their workplace, earning a paycheck, and showing what is possible when people have the opportunity to work in their community.
We are proud to support our employees as they grow their skills, build independence, and make meaningful contributions to the workforce.

Earlier this year, our program was going through a lengthy accreditation process. We had a feeling it went very well, bu...
08/15/2026

Earlier this year, our program was going through a lengthy accreditation process. We had a feeling it went very well, but didn’t know for sure until we received our 3-year award in the mail last week. What does it mean, you may want to ask. So,
being CARF accredited means that our program voluntarily met rigorous, internationally recognized standards for quality and customer service. Awarded by CARF International (the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), it proves that we are dedicated to continuous improvement, safety, and positive outcomes for the people we serve.

Our program is not only fun, it is also:
•Safe. Accreditation includes evaluating safety.
•Comfortable and well-maintained. We must meet specific standards of cleanliness and comfort.
•Person-centered Care is Key.
•CARF Accreditation also means we respect cultural and individual preferences. Staff members know everyone comes from a unique background. They ensure everyone is comfortable and has his or her individual needs met.

We went on a little excursion today! We needed to exchange fish (we’ve had to do it almost every week it seems), so we w...
08/14/2026

We went on a little excursion today! We needed to exchange fish (we’ve had to do it almost every week it seems), so we went to PetSmart in Waynesville. And we want to brag about the employees we met there today! They were amazing and so welcoming! They gave us animal stickers, showed us around the store, teaching us about different species they had. And we got the fish exchanged, no questions asked and no additional cost!
Whoever worked the morning shift on August 14th, you were awesome!
Then, we got our pizza and went to Watson Park in Sylva (we’re so glad that there is at least one park that adults with disabilities can access and have fun).

There is still time to apply!
08/14/2026

There is still time to apply!

The Global Kinetic Sand Day was a couple of days ago. To celebrate, we divided ourselves between three groups and each g...
08/13/2026

The Global Kinetic Sand Day was a couple of days ago. To celebrate, we divided ourselves between three groups and each group had to follow a different recipe for kinetic sand. Wow! It was so much fun! And the consensus was that:
1. Make sure the print is big enough so you can see the decimal point in front of 5…. Otherwise you’ll end up with 10x more sand than you want.
2. No recipe is perfect - in all three cases we had to adjust.
3. Each recipe called for oil so all of our hands were very soft and moisturized by the end of the day.
4. If you run out of cornstarch - flour will do.
5. If you want to make pottery but don’t have clay, follow Emily and Jimmy’s recipe (or if you want to lay bricks) 😂😂.

This is a great opportunity for a meaningful employment for anyone looking to supplement their income, for anyone who’s ...
08/05/2026

This is a great opportunity for a meaningful employment for anyone looking to supplement their income, for anyone who’s already retired but catches themselves missing work days, or new graduates who are not ready to start working full time. It’s a great way to meet new people, broaden your connections, while working with amazing folks on their journey to independence through meaningful day activities (like community inclusion or employment).

Let us brag a little bit about Chris. He has expressed desire to work ever since he joined us at VOC; with that, he part...
08/04/2026

Let us brag a little bit about Chris. He has expressed desire to work ever since he joined us at VOC; with that, he participated in Jacob’s Plan to Placement classes for job coaches as a job seeker. There, through discovery, Chris and the staff explored various employment paths. With that knowledge, we were able to secure an internship with the EBCI Public Health and Human Services Program. Chris is primarily responsible for the community events inclusion initiative. It is a borrow box with sensory items, books and art materials and non-verbal communication questions cards as well as items to make a schedule. Most importantly, it has an inclusion check list and branding strategies to express that the event is neurodivergent friendly. He will email/ call organizers for various events to tell them about the borrow box. He will be responsible for promoting the box as well as updating the materials. In addition, he helps with admin tasks (shredding, phones, stamps). He has our job coach Kyla (and Jacob as a substitute) helping him on the job. And he gets to work with an amazing natural support that is the PHHS admin assistant (and our former assistant), Kina.EBCI Public Health & Human Services Division, we are so excited to have you as the first tribal program opening the doors to employment for our hardworking folks!

And today was YELLOW, representing Neurodivergent Disabilities. Neurodivergent Disabilities describe the natural variati...
07/31/2026

And today was YELLOW, representing Neurodivergent Disabilities. Neurodivergent Disabilities describe the natural variation in how people perceive, process information, and interact with the world.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Learning disabilities (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia)
• Sensory processing disorders
• Tourette Syndrome

Address

321 Town Center Loop
Waynesville, NC
28786

Opening Hours

8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

828-497-9827

Website

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