Jeffrey Trant. Photo courtesy of BusinessWest.

Cheers to BusinessWest in Massachusetts for this article about social worker Jeffrey Trant, 27. Trant was profiled in a series about under-40 professionals who manage businesses and non-profits and also provide public service to their communities.

Trant is director of Lighthouse, a community rehabilitation and employment organization in Springfield, MA that is managed by Human Resources Unlimited (HRU). He also runs HRU Cafe in the Jewish Community Center (JCC)  in Springfield.

The cafe employs disabled and disadvantaged adults. Trant hopes the business will break even and raise awareness in the JCC community about the abilities of all people, including the disabled.

“What I do is very important work — it’s working with folks who don’t have a voice and helping them get one,” Trant said.

Social workers often help the disabled live more rewarding lives. To learn more click here to read about social workers and people with disabilities on the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” consumer Website.