Porter County, IN – October 11, 2021 – The mission of Opportunity Enterprises (OE) is to maximize self-sufficiency and enrich the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Through the provision of a number of programs including, but not limited to, residential, respite, education-based day programs, transportation, daily living skills, employment and job coaching, OE relies on the generosity of others, like volunteers, who help bring the mission to life.
“I have said this many times before, and I will continue to say it because it is so true! Our volunteers are such valuable partners!” states Julie McKean, senior director of facilities, safety and compliance.
Holladay Properties is one such valuable volunteer partner. On Monday, October 11 – a group of over 20 Holladay Properties team members traveled to Opportunity Enterprises’ main building to landscape and clean up several outdoor patio areas that are used by clients and OE staff. A full day of volunteer work, Holladay Properties took a noon break to learn more about OE and the services provided to communities throughout Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.
Laura Small, Project Architect for Holladay Properties, was the lead in organizing a volunteer group, garnering their interests, and landing on supporting efforts of Opportunity Enterprises. “Holladay Properties was excited to work with OE to kick off our Fall Services Week, and this experience was really great for our team. The Lunch and Learn part of this project was the highlight. We were able to meet Libby who is a former client of OE and now an employee working with SecureShred. Libby gave all of us insight on OE’s quality programs that truly support clients. It made our project more worthwhile,” Small said.
Opportunity Enterprises maintains over 170 acres and over 132,000 square feet of space in 16 different properties and supports programs and services through another 12 leased properties. “Our clients are proud of the time they spend with OE in properties that are comfortable and well-maintained. We have a small but dedicated facilities team who more than appreciates when individuals and outside groups offer their support to ensure our properties are in the best condition,” Julie McKean states further.
Tim Healy, President and CEO of Holladay Properties, provides his employees with 32 hours of paid VTO (Volunteer Time Off) each year, as well as two company-wide Service Weeks each year. This concept provides Holladay employees various opportunities to share their generosity to help make the communities they live in strong and viable. At the end of the project, Healy simply stated, “We were glad to help out. OE does amazing things for amazing people.”
To learn more about volunteering with Opportunity Enterprises, call (219) 464-9621 or email Alison Martin at alison.martin@oppent.org.
