MacDonald Training Center prepares RNC swag bags

TAMPA - The mission at MacDonald Training Center, Inc. ( www.macdonaldcenter.org ) is to provide jobs that lead to a career.

Every bag 33-year old Tewanda Nance fills at her job in Tampa prepares her.

"We train people here with developmental disabilities and other disabilities to learn the job skills they need to go out into the world and get real jobs so they can have a real life and a real career and to do that we need real contracts," said CEO Jim Freyvogel.

The latest big contract Nance and her co-workers are fulfilling is with the Republican National Convention preparing 15-thousand swag bags. The bags are rolling out to hotels across Tampa Bay to Convention delegates and other guests.

"I'm very pleased as a Tampan that the RNC selected a local company to do this," said MacDonald Training Center spokesperson Rita Hattab.

MacDonald Training Center was the perfect fit.

Chances are, if you have a SunPass in your car, it was packaged and shipped at their Tampa location -- 4-million of them -- and that attention to detail helped them win the RNC bid.

Everything in the swag bag will help conventioneers get through the week, including sunglasses and sunscreen, a rain poncho, and a coupon book for the Tampa Bay area.

Mitt Romney's book, No Apology, is also tucked in there.  Plus, a pocket Constitution guide, a University of Tampa chip clip, a Busch Gardens plush giraffe, Tampa Bay Lightning- and Storm-branded insulated can holders and a Coca-Cola.

"With state funding cutbacks, every little bit helps. No contract is too small and honestly, at this point, when you look at what we've done with the SunPass, no contract is too large for us to consider. We are striving to be a self-sufficient organization," said Hattab.

Every bag helps empower them to live the lives they choose.