Bob Johnson, Senior Facilities Technician for OE and Richie A. celebrating the groundbreaking of the organization’s new Respite Center. (Photo provided)
Opportunity Enterprises (OE), which recently held a ceremony to celebrate groundbreaking for their new Lakeside Respite Center, says they want to provide an opportunity for clients to participate in the building of the building. The contractors for the center, Berglund Construction, will invite five men and women with disabilities to kick off the project and actually operate an excavator to help “dig in” and begin prepping for the building of the center.
“Opportunity Enterprises is all about inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA). It is obvious from the plans of their new center to the construction of an accessible treehouse. We were very excited to hear we were awarded this project. Now we want to contribute to the culture of IDEA that OE prioritizes. What better way to start this project by giving the experience of building to a group of people that might never have the opportunity to operate machinery like an excavator,” said Jeff Berglund, Vice President of Berglund Construction.
Opportunity Enterprises Board of Directors took it a step further by offering corporations or individuals to sponsor this experience for a client and receive recognition in the new building once constructed. Opportunity Enterprises says five sponsorship opportunities of $5,000 per sponsor are being made available, and through those a donor will be able to give an individual who utilizes OE’s services a lifetime opportunity to be an excavator for one day – and contribute to a center that is being built for them.
Proceeds will support the Lakeside Respite Center’s $6.7 million campaign, and sponsors will receive permanent recognition in the new building. To secure one of the sponsorship opportunities, contact Alison Martin, Development Director, by calling (219) 464-9621, Extension 285. For more information, visit oppent.org . You can hear more about the project and sponsorship opportunities at Region Newsmakers here at our website.
