Heritage Industries celebrates 50 years of service

PEABODY – Heritage Industries celebrated 50 years of providing opportunities to the disabled on the North Shore Friday night with a special event at Peabody City Hall.Approximately 150 people attended the event, including Mayor Michael Bonfanti, Congressman John Tierney, and State Representative Fred Berry, who was once the organization?s executive director from 1978-1982.Heritage Industries was first started by a group of parents living in Peabody, Lynn, and Salem who wanted to provide special programs for their disabled children.?In those days, there weren?t many special ed programs to speak of,” explained Executive Director Jerry McCarthy, adding that often times, the only option was to send your child to a state-run facility. “Families wanted to keep their children home and raise them as part of the community.”Through the help of volunteers, an arts and craft center was created. The organization quickly became more focused on jobs and work training and, within 10 years, its popularity had grown so much, they needed to expand their business space and services.Today, Heritage Industries provides vocational training for people living with all disabilities, including hearing loss, autism, or severe physical disabilities. They provide subcontracting services, such as copying, large mailing, assembly work, shrink-wrapping and now shredding to businesses from Boston to Worcester and even those along the New Hampshire state line.They serve about 242 people each day just at their sites in Peabody and Danvers alone.?It?s been incredible,” said McCarthy about his 30 years with Heritage. “We?ve had a tremendous period of growth and expansion?When I came here, our budget was about $900,000. This year, it?s approaching $70 million.”McCarthy said that Heritage, which is a part of the North Shore Arc, makes such a positive impact on communities like Peabody.?When people with various backgrounds and abilities are integrated, a community in general is much richer and a far more accepting and supportive of place for all of us,” he said.Most importantly, McCarthy believes that Heritage helps those with disabilities feel and become a significant part of their community.?We try to help them develop the skills they need to lead productive and satisfying lives,” he said. “They can still make a contribution to society and earn money. We try to help people lives as normal a life as possible.”As for the future of the organization, McCarthy can only hope that they will continue to serve and be as successful as they have been for another 50 years.