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Amanda Witter, center, cuts the ribbon for Inside Out ServiceMart LLC during a ceremony recently held by the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, along with chamber members, city officials and employees of the business.
WHEELING — The Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed a new member business that offers professional repair and upkeep services — and the clients are not the only ones who reap the benefits from the work.
Operating in cooperation with Jobs & Hope West Virginia, Inside Out ServiceMart LLC provides jobs to people in the community who need a second chance – whether that person is in recovery from substance abuse, previously incarcerated or facing other employment obstacles.
“The company is named after our motto — that change comes from the inside out,” owner Amanda Witter said.
Originally, Witter operated a cleaning business about seven years ago that eventually expanded to offer other services. Along the way, her husband — who was in recovery at the time — was struggling to find a decent job and also was challenged to find work that offered an environment conducive to his recovery.
“A lot of times, you may find yourself in a work situation where other people around you aren’t making the right choices,” Witter said.
The business transformed into one that helped work with second-chance employees a little more than three years ago, and more recently Inside Out ServiceMart LLC was born.
“The more work we get, the more people we are able to employ,” said Witter, who not only operates the business but also received a peer recovery coach certificate. “We started with the hope that we could give people a second chance in the job market while also helping them surround themselves with other people going in the right direction.”
Sara Wood, transition agent with Jobs & Hope WV in Moundsville, said Inside Out has been fantastic with meeting the needs of those in the program seeking work opportunities, particularly workers with construction and trade skills.
“They’re one of the first businesses I go to when I have someone who can fill one of those positions,” Wood said. “They provide access to good employment and are willing to give individuals a chance. We have a wonderful relationship with them.”
Inside Out offers a variety of services, from lawn care to pressure washing, exterior and interior painting, snow removal, cleaning of gutters and downspouts, and other general handyman work that sometimes can be hard for people to find — or hard to find time to do yourself, and do it right. The business can offer consultations and price estimates on commercial or residential jobs of all kinds.
W.Va. Del. Erikka Storch (R-Ohio), president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, noted that – wearing both hats as a state legislator and an advocate for the local business community – partnerships like the one between Jobs & Hope WV and Inside Out ServiceMart LLC deliver great success stories.
“It’s always rewarding to see initiatives that come out of legislative action and come to your community,” Storch said. “I see both sides of it. It’s great to see them provide people who have made mistakes with a second opportunity.”
Witter said they also provide employment to people who struggle with other setbacks, like having no vehicle. They provide a driver to help get certain individuals to and from work. Inside Out is also working on another effort to connect people senior citizens and with disabilities with work opportunities and services.
For more information about Inside Out ServiceMart LLC, call 304-559-6394, visit them at insideoutservicemart.com or check out their official pages on social media.
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