ALULA Takes Flight: TVS Evolves to Strengthen Community and Impact
What began nearly sixty years ago as a small community effort to create meaningful work for local residents with disabilities has grown into a nationally recognized leader in inclusive employment and mission-driven manufacturing. Today, that story enters a new chapter as Transylvania Vocational Services Inc. (TVS) proudly becomes ALULA — a name that honors both its roots and its ever-expanding reach.
“Our name may be new, but our purpose has never changed,” said ALULA Board Member and former CEO of TVS, Nancy Stricker. “Each generation has built on the one before, guided by the belief that when people of all abilities are empowered to work and thrive, communities are lifted together. ALULA is a beautiful reflection of that promise.”
We have proudly served our participants, community, and federal and commercial customers under the TVS name. As we look ahead, our mission continues to expand beyond the traditional meaning of “vocational.” Our new name better captures the broader opportunities we now provide — creating meaningful employment, skill development, and community connection for people of all abilities.
We’re also broadening our commercial partnerships, which helps balance the natural ebbs and flows of federal contracts and strengthens long-term stability, ensuring steady employment and income for the people we serve while continuing to deliver exceptional value to our customers.
Founded in 1967 as the Brevard Jaycees Sheltered Workshop, Inc., the organization emerged from a community’s desire to open doors to employment for adults with disabilities. Over the years, the name evolved from Transylvania County Sheltered Workshop in 1973 to Transylvania Vocational Services in 1975, always reflecting a deeper commitment to creating opportunity, belonging, and purpose through meaningful work. Eventually shortened to TVS, the name came to represent three enduring values: Trust. Value. Serve.
Now, as ALULA, the organization carries that legacy forward with renewed energy and a vision for broader impact. In Latin, alula means “small wing” — the part of a bird’s wing that enhances lift and stability in flight. It’s a fitting symbol for a mission that has always been about helping people overcome barriers, achieve independence, and soar through employment and community connection.
“This community gave us our start, and it continues to be the heart of who we are,” said Lora Allemeier, CEO of ALULA. “Our new name honors the lift that comes from working together: from Brevard’s early volunteers to the partners and employees who now help us create jobs, training, and purpose for people of all abilities across the country.”
From our home in Brevard, ALULA continues to manufacture and package food products for national brands and federal contracts, while also providing employment and community programs for adults with disabilities and other barriers to work. With new initiatives, such as abilIT, opening new doors to careers in IT, cybersecurity, and technology for individuals with disabilities and veterans, ensuring that lift continues to reach farther than ever before.
Through every name and new horizon, the mission remains the same: to create employment opportunities, strengthen businesses, and support communities, proving every day that lift is something we build together.
To learn more about ALULA’s mission and impact, visit www.ALULAuplift.org