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County Officials Discuss Options With URS Clients

HAZLETON — Hundreds of people living with disabilities in our area learned Wednesday they are losing an organization that provides much needed services to...

HAZLETON -- Hundreds of people living with disabilities in our area learned Wednesday they are losing an organization that provides much needed services to them.

United Rehabilitation Services or URS said it will close its locations in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, and Tunkhannock due to cuts in funding.

It was an emotional night for people who packed into the room Wednesday evening at the United Rehabilitation Services building in Hazleton.

“Please save URS because I love it, and I'm going to miss all my friends and all my co-workers,” said 24-year-old Chad Wallace.

URS provides jobs, services and programs to people with disabilities, including Wallace, who made a tearful statement why URS is needed.

“It trains us to someday get a job and gives us a safe place to be during the day ,” said Wallace, choking up. “Please.”

At the Hazleton URS officials from the county`s Mental Health and Developmental Services told the crowd they were working on options.

“We have agencies that are reaching out to us when they`re hearing, to fill the void, to offer services to people in this area, in Wilkes-Barre area and in Tunkhannock,” said Jim Davis, the interim executive of the Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Mental Health and Developmental Services.

Chad`s mother said she`s devastated to lose URS

“He`s well taken care of, they know all of his needs, there`s never a concern, if I ever have concerns, there`s many more like Chad in the area,” said Karen Wallace.

And for chad, his concern is not just for himself but for his mom.

“She has to worry about how is she going to pay for our house and stuff and how is she going to do everything so I don`t want to give her an extra burden,” said Chad.

Some 50 URS employees will be out of a job when URS closes. That is set to happen on June 18.

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