September 2020
Bill Schultz named President & CEO

Bill Schultz has officially been named President & CEO of Opportunity Partners, after serving as Interim CEO since late June. Bill has been with OP for nearly five years as our Executive Vice President, Business Development and Operations, after joining OP with more than 20 years of experience in businesses leadership. Below is a short video announcement from OP Board Chairman Greg Keane.
Safely reopening with new protocols in place

The gradual reopening of two of our service locations for work - Asplin Center and our Bren Road facility - has gone smoothly. Currently, 65 people served are working at Asplin and 51 at Bren, with more starting in the coming weeks. The groups are divided into morning and afternoon shifts.

Several Supported Employment Team (SET sites) are also running, including our Penn Station in Bloomington. We are following comprehensive health and safety guidelines at all OP locations including temperature checks, facial coverings, hand washing breaks, enhanced cleaning and other protocols.

We are working to reopen Karlins Center in Plymouth and Koch Campus in Minnetonka later in September. Attendees must be able to practice social distancing and tolerate face coverings, and individuals with certain underlying health conditions are urged to remain home.

While we are encouraged by this progress, we have a long way to go to reach our previous service levels and resume serving all of our regular attendees. If you have questions about returning to OP services, please contact services@opportunities.org or leave a message at 952-938-5511. Stay well!
Coming soon, our online talent showcase!

Watch for our exciting online talent showcase and fundraising campaign, coming later this month! The people we serve, our staff and our volunteers have so much talent! Wait until you see our pianists, comedians, green thumbs, singers, dancers and much more. Watch Opportunities.org and our social media channels for more surprises!
Together again - via remote services

With a large number of people we serve still unable to attend their regular day and employment services due to the pandemic, we're grateful to connect via technology! Our remote service options have been vital for individuals including Zach Thuleen, who has dearly missed his friends and routine. Zach's mom Katy said she was beginning to worry about the toll the separation was taking on her typically happy son.

"Zach was asking every morning when OP was going to open back up," Katy said. "He was beginning to really lose his zest. Boredom and the lack of social, emotional and cognitive stimulation was beginning to show." But the remote services have changed everything. "Zach’s back! He is happy," Katy said. "He has his own schedule and friends that he looks forward to seeing. Zach has something familiar he can count on again in the time of so many unknowns. We are all so grateful for OP during this challenging time!"

Katy said Zach has learned to use the new technology independently and is developing confidence and new skills along the way. She praises the dedicated OP staff, especially Mindy Otis (shown in photo with Zach), who are making it work with their caring and person-centered approach. Learn more about our remote offerings by leaving a message at 952-938-5511 or email services@opportunities.org