By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

A retirement reception was held Thursday afternoon at Pine Belt Mental Health in Columbia for Frances Hayes who spent 17 years training developmentally disabled adults.

Hayes of Columbia taught those with disabilities job skills so they could enter the workforce and become self sufficient and productive members of society.

Hayes was a supervisor at Pine Belt Graphics, which is located on Main Street in Columbia and serves as a workforce training center for adults with developmental disabilities. The screen shop prints 80,000 to 90,000 T-shirts a year with a labor force made up of 31 Pine Belt Mental Health Care clients.

At the reception, several of the clients expressed how much they love and appreciate Hayes for what she has done for them. Rob McClain, one of the clients, said Hayes taught him that if he can’t say anything nice to not say anything at all. Kyle Hutchins, another one of the disabled clients, also thanked Hayes for teaching him workplace skills.

In the graphics shop, the clients learn a variety of tasks including how to print a T-shirt as well as fold and bag the garments. In her 17 years Hayes has seen many of the clients go on in life to obtain full-time jobs as a result of the skills they learned in the print shop.

Pine Belt Mental Health opened the graphics shop in 1991, and the clients who work there earn a wage.

Hayes of Columbia said she is retiring to take care of her mother. About 40 attended the reception in her honor at the Pine Belt Office on Lafayette Street in Columbia this afternoon. Several of her fellow employees spoke of her great contribution to the program, and one called her the “heart and soul” of the operation. She was also praised for her care, compassion and dedication to the clients.

She was named the third recipient of the Lynne Blackledge Lifetime Achievement Award. Hayes says she has many fond memories working with the clients and said even though she is leaving the job, she is not leaving her family.