Our Story
There are currently 14,000 people in Erie County with disabilities that are unable to work. Our goal is to restore hope to some of these individuals by becoming advocates for them. The Opportunities Unlimited program supports individuals of all backgrounds who once thought employment was impossible. We believe in ability, not disability! We give them the tools to become successful, and in return, many of them become contributing members of society.
We serve any individual with a disability, that is currently participating in Occupational and Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) of Pa and is looking for job training and/or employment opportunities. The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have any history of such impairment, even if they do not currently have issues with that disability.
In our community, we see disabled individuals unable to work far too often. The need for employment and opportunity is real. Often times, job seekers want to contribute to society again, but they do not know where or how to start. They begin to lose hope, and often, dignity.
At OU we strive to provide both the job training and employment placement opportunities to these individuals, in hopes that they’ll move on to bigger and better careers. We want to restore hope and self-worth back into our Erie family and our coaches give job seekers the skills and abilities to do just that.
Our values make us different from the rest! We’re not just a job placement service; we provide all the training and skills individuals need to start their career. And we do it all with kindness, without forgetting our core values. At OU we believe every individual has the possibility of leading a productive and successful life and that everyone has the potential to engage in meaningful employment. We believe in the virtues of listening, patience, and respect for all and welcome the unique talents and diverse experience of our clients and employees.
Job Providers
So often, organizations are looking to give back to their community in manageable and meaningful ways. Why not give and receive at the same time? When you hire Opportunities Unlimited for your janitorial, laundry, dry cleaning, and floor care services, you’re not only receiving top-quality cleaning services at competitive pricing, you’re also providing job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Without job providers, we cannot help job seekers.
You can also take advantage of charitable-giving tax benefits that put money back into your business or personal funds simply for choosing our services. For these reasons, we hope you’ll consider joining our list of satisfied customers.
Donors
Opportunities Unlimited is only able to keep our job training and employment services open with the support of the community. By donating, you’re becoming a partner in our mission to restore hope to Erie individuals and families. With your support, OU is able to continue providing career development and job placement for individuals with disabilities. By donating we can hire more people, place more individuals, hire more job coaches, get a new building location, get new equipment, establish capital equipment reserve.