On Monday, February 27, A Team Nevada and Opportunity Village clients traveled to the Nevada State Legislature for Advocacy Day.
More than 100 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from across Nevada participated in the legislative process, met with their representatives and learned how government works firsthand. Attendees took time to meet with the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State.
The A Team Nevada consists of more than 250 active members who are individuals with disabilities advocating for and preserving choices in employment, home and living, and recreation. The organization’s goal is to advocate, improve awareness and offer peer advisement.
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.
