Have you ever felt that, with just a little help, you could accomplish your dreams?

We all have dreams, and we all experience challenging times when a little support makes a big difference in life. Our purpose is to provide life-improvement services for Central Oregonians with disabilities, in supportive and respectful settings.

This is our story...

The Opportunity Foundation started with a daring dream that children with disabilities have the right to go to school and be educated, just like other kids. In 1965, that vision led to the establishment of the Opportunity Foundation School. At that time, kids with disabilities such as mental retardation and related conditions were excluded from the public school.

A local cattle broker, Walt Franks, became aware of a Central Oregon parent cooperative's struggle to give their children an out-of-home educational and social experience - an effort that moved from from one donated space to another, often just ahead and sometimes behind the Fire Marshall's condemning of the inadequate structures in which they were housed.

Mr. Franks made the group a wonderful offer: He would donate the funds to build a school if the cooperative would help form a non-profit corporation to run the school. The corporation would be guided by leaders from Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.

In the years following these humble beginnings, The Opportunity Foundation added a broad range of services that supported the needs of persons with disabilities. In 1967, we began a wood products program producing a wide variety of survey stakes, pallets and custom wood cutting, all made by persons with disabilities. In 1973, we added a thrift store in Redmond as another employment site. In response to a new federal law, in 1978, local school districts took responsibility for educating students with disabilities. Our school closed, but by then our mill and business support services had expanded to include confidential document shredding, parts assembly, mailing, packaging, etc.

We had many graduates from our Group Home - about 34 in three years - who needed just a little support to be independent. Therefore, in 1979, we started a Community Living Program that provides budgeting, bill paying, menu planning, grocery shopping, etc. so persons with disabilities can live as independently as possible.

The Opportunity Foundation is always looking for new ways to serve individuals with disabilities in our community. Most recently, The Opportunity Foundation began a supported living program and relocated our Madras thrift store. Today, we have stores featuring clothing, housewares, and furniture in Madras, Redmond and Bend, along with Assembly/Packaging programs in all three cities. In addition, The Opportunity Foundation provides custodial services and an Alternatives to Employment program.

The Opportunity Foundation now operates seven group homes in Central Oregon. Clearly, the vision of Walt Franks and the parent cooperative lives on today!

Our story is your story; we are all fellow travelers on life's path. We all need a hand up from time to time. Your involvement and support of the Opportunity Foundation may just provide the seeds of a dream that will allow others to grow and give back to the community for years to come.

There are many ways to you can help support possibilities!