As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival is all about helping and entertaining as many people as humanly possible. So we’re damn glad to have another local charity on board, OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS, founded by Oak Park’s very own Mike Carmody.
They’ll be raising money for their wonderful initiatives by helping us sell tickets to the event on November 22nd, so if you know him and need a ticket, give him a call. But for now, check out the wonderful things OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS is doing for our developmentally disabled friends…
ABOUT OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS:
Opportunity knocks believes that each developmentally disabled person has both the right and the ability to thrive in his/her community. Our goal is to establish an environment of independent living that fosters the personal, social and occupational development of these individuals.
Opportunity Knocks (OK), a 501c 3 non-profit charity, will serve young adults fifteen years of age and older with a range of developmental disabilities, both mild and profound. Realizing that these young adults will function at varying levels, Opportunity Knocks is prepared to fashion an individualized program to accommodate their particular needs.
It is the five-year goal of OK to acquire two facilities that will serve as self-sufficient-entities of the organization. The facilities will be inhabited and maintained by approximately 15-20 residents. Access to programs and facilities will include, but not be limited to the residents. In addition to serving as a group home, these facilities will play host to a slate of programs designed for residents as well as site participants.
Among other programs, OK will be assist in job placement, health and lifestyle coaching and recreational and leisurely pursuits. These will be executed with the ideal of promoting positive and meaningful activities that involve community interaction.
Initiatives
• Institute a staff and administration that is experienced, certified, committed to the mission of OK, and educated for the special needs of each individual.
• Pursue the identification and acquisition of a location/facility conducive for the survival and growth of the organization.
• Develop an open-ongoing communication and integration with parents and the community.
• Establish a support system that allows and encourages individuals with developmental disabilities to initiate and develop positive relationships with disabled and non-disabled peers.
• Cultivate a reliable network of outreach connections, including but not limited to business, church and school agencies to creating opportunities for volunteer programs and to collaborate with one another.
• Create a safe, community-based recreational program that promotes self-sufficiency and personal dignity.
• Offer opportunities to perform community service and volunteering for all participants of O.K.
