Sarah Liberta is a successful client of LRS. Ms. Liberta suffers from post-polio syndrome as a result of being stricken with polio at the age of nine. She was able to walk with braces and crutches for many years, but her condition progressively deteriorated. Ms. Liberta currently suffers from a paralyzed right leg, an extremely weak left leg, and limited stamina and mobility as a result of her post-polio syndrome. She is able to ambulate with the aid of a scooter or wheelchair, although she can transfer with the use of crutches. Ms. Liberta sought the assistance of LRS to obtain employment consistent with her aptitudes, interests, and functional limitations.
LRS has provided a number of services to Ms. Liberta, including vocational guidance and counseling to help her choose an appropriate career goal and a wheelchair for her mobility needs. Ms. Liberta has always been interested in cooking with fresh herbs. She maintains a fresh herb garden for her kitchen and has been a member of the Herb Society of America for many years. Ms. Liberta has taken some culinary arts classes related to herbs and has long dreamed of owning her own business selling her herb-related products. After much guidance and counseling from LRS and research on behalf of Ms. Liberta, LRS sent Ms. Liberta to the Excel Program to start work on her business plan. Ms. Liberta has started selling her herbal products, most importantly her herbal quick breads and spreads, at local markets and gift shops around town as well as on the website of a well-known local chef. Most recently, her line of herbal quick breads and spreads are being brokered to certain grocery stores within a 150-mile radius of Baton Rouge through a brokering warehouse program. Ms. Liberta has worked very hard in the development of her small business and her diligence is paying off. Ms. Liberta has been a wonderful client to work with, and her hard work and dedication to her small business will ensure her success as an entrepreneur.
