Opportunity Center introduces new facility

The Seneca County Opportunity Center kicked-off Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month activities Monday afternoon with the annual informational luncheon. The theme for this year's awareness month is #SenecaCountyStrong and Superintendent Lew Hurst said the theme was announced to help highlight the partners of the Opportunity Center. "This last year has had many challenges, but has also opened up many new opportunities," Hurst said. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Opportunity Center had to rethink how they offered services to individuals. With the restrictions about the number of people that were allowed to be back in the building, the Optimal Opportunities facility was opened to help the Opportunity Center serve additional people. Currently, there are 16 individuals receiving services at the new facility. The Optimal facility also houses the Opportunity Center Community Employment Department, which includes the job coaches who assist people with disabilities to find employment in the community and help to train people for their jobs. In addition, Concordance Healthcare Solutions has also expanded opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities with its Inclusive Hire Program. There are currently seven individuals employed from the Opportunity Center at the Concordance facility in Tiffin, located at 85 Shaffer Park Dr. Arrin Allen, assistant operations manager at Concordance, said the purpose behind the program is that "everybody deserves a job," Allen said giving people a job and a purpose provides them with self-confidence. Hurst also provided an overview of what is available at the Opportunity Center and what services are provided to individuals. During the event, three advocates also shared their own personal perspectives on how Developmental Disabilities Awareness means to them.