Opportunity Village Announces its Participation in Together for Choice Coalition and its Nationwide Initiative
Opportunity Village Announces its Participation in Together for Choice Coalition and its Nationwide Initiative
Coalition committed to finding solutions for the shortage of housing and vocational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Las Vegas – Opportunity Village announces its participation in Together for Choice, a new coalition of service providers, family members and concerned citizens that is launching a national initiative to find solutions for the growing shortage of suitable housing and vocational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities and provider for vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services to nearly 2,000 individuals annually, Opportunity Village is committed to bringing awareness to the lack of adequate independent housing. Through this coalition, Opportunity Village will take part in educating the public and key influencers on the need for Medicaid funding of choice-based housing, employment and training, and developing policy reform initiatives.
“Together for Choice plays a vital role in serving the wonderful individuals with disabilities who participate in Opportunity Village’s programs and services. Our involvement in the coalition will help set the stage for many important initiatives we have planned for the future, such as Betty’s Village residential facilities, right here in Southern Nevada,” said Bob Brown, president and CEO of Opportunity Village.
Together for Choice brings together representatives of organizations that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members and loved ones from across the country to discuss the work that needs to be done to advance these individuals’ rights and uncover solutions to expand their choices.
For more information about Together for Choice and its initiatives, visit www.togetherforchoice.org.
About Opportunity Village
Mission: Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to enhance their lives and the lives of their families.
Opportunity Village was founded in 1954 by seven families who were determined to give their children with disabilities the best lives possible. Now, more than 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected organizations of its type in the United States.
Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves nearly 2,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more purposeful and interesting.
Opportunity Village citizens – individuals who were previously considered unemployable – work at Opportunity Village’s Employment Resource Centers and in jobs throughout the community, collectively earning wages amounting to more than $3.7 million in 2016. They are hard-working and diligent, proudly paying taxes and happily leading more fulfilling lives.
Primarily a self-funded organization, Opportunity Village generates the majority of its operational funding through its employment contracts and fundraising efforts such as the Magical Forest and Great Santa Run, saving Nevada taxpayers $37.4 million annually.
About Together for Choice
Together for Choice (TFC) is a pending 501 (c) (3) grassroots advocacy organization that was formed as a result of the increasingly complex array of federal Medicaid and state agency rules governing housing choices, access to supportive living services and lifestyle choices. For more about the communities we bring together and the depth of experience and compassion of our team, please go to our website www.togetherforchoice.org.
###