Opportunity Village to announce name change

  On June 20, Clear Lake-based nonprofit organization Opportunity Village will begin a new chapter in its history.

  A celebration will be held in Mason City and Fort Dodge on that day to commemorate the launch of the organization’s new name. Celebrations will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the North Iowa Events Center’s Kinney Building, in Mason City, and at the Best Western Starlite Village, in Fort Dodge.

  The organization’s new name will be announced at both events.

  “In 1994, Handicap Village changed its name to Opportunity Village to better represent who we were as an organization. Next week, we move on to another chapter in our story,” said CEO Jeff Nichols. “A new name once again will be adopted to better represent who we are. We are no longer a single place separate from those around us. As our organization continues to grow geographically and our services continue to diversify, we must reaffirm our vision as an organization. Our vision has always been supporting people as they connect with purpose and discover meaning in their lives, and I believe our new name will carry us into the future while still recognizing our past.”

  Opportunity Village was incorporated in 1966 and opened for services in 1971. It was founded by a group of Clear Lake individuals seeking to provide a place for individuals with disabilities to connect with one another and live with privacy, dignity and purpose. The organization’s founders accomplished this while also providing individuals a home located on an 80-acre campus in Clear Lake.

  Over the years, Opportunity Village’s services expanded beyond Clear Lake. In 1984, the organization began providing services in

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Mason City and eventually added Lake Mills, Webster City, Eagle Grove, and Humboldt. In 2010, Northwoods Living in Fort Dodge joined the organization’s umbrella of services. Opportunity Village currently provides services for 156 individuals and employs approximately 160 people in the Fort Dodge area.

  In 2012, the landscape of how services were provided at Opportunity Village changed as the organization began a process of transitioning individuals living in segregated group home settings to smaller homes located in communities of their choosing. This was done to comply with the Olmstead decision, a 1999 United States Supreme Court decision based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Supreme Court held that people with disabilities have a qualified right to receive state funded supports and services in the community rather than segregated facilities.

  The organization currently provides services in numerous locations across 30 different North Iowa communities. In total, the organization supports more than 550 individuals and employs more than 600, making it one of the largest employers in North Iowa. A majority of services are provided in community-based settings. Staff support individuals as they find jobs; as they choose homes that meet their needs and wants; and as they engage in activities that match their social, recreational, and personal interests.

  The new name was selected following a months-long process that involved gathering feedback and input from staff, board members, community members, and people supported.

  “I am truly excited about our new name because it symbolizes how our founders came together with a common vision that still helps guide our efforts today, and it strongly represents our commitment to the people we support as the driving force behind everything we do,” Nichols said. “Although the way our organization provides services has evolved and will continue to over the years, our commitment to the fundamental principles set forth by our founders has not. Providing a better experience for individuals and helping connect them with purpose continues to be the essence of what we do.”

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