Opportunities, Inc. Entrepreneurial Project – Moving Forward during the Pandemic
For the past several months, Opp, Inc.’s Employment Specialist Paul Jackson has been working with an engaged group of Opp, Inc. volunteers on an entrepreneurial initiative benefiting a number of the people we support.
Opportunities, Inc. Entrepreneurs in the Community
Michelle Morsell, who has been supported by Opportunities, Inc. since 1998, has been accepted into, and completed a Takoma Park food entrepreneurship program to sell her baked goods at the Crossroads Food Market beginning in October. Her partnership is still on track for October, and we are thrilled to support her as she prepares to open her booth!
Creating Small Business Ownership Opportunities for People we Support!
A key mission for the Entrepreneurial Project is to give several individuals in our program -- whose training, initiative, and interest make them strong candidates -- the opportunity to open a small business within our Lanham site. These people we support would work initially with broad support from Opportunities Inc., and then with increasing self-sufficiency, and eventual autonomy. This company, with the assistance of a manager, will continue to bid on work on fulfillment/assembly jobs sourced through our existing vendors. Start-up costs include legal and regulatory fees, benefits counseling, accounting, banking and insurance, etc., and we are actively seeking funding to continue this extraordinary work. Paul anticipates that the business would be profitable on a stand-alone basis after year-one!
Opportunities, Inc. is the only remaining provider in the State of Maryland that still operates an assembly/fulfillment center. Our goal is to transform our current “sheltered workshop” model into businesses self-owned by persons with disabilities. We are very excited to create a unique model that can be replicated elsewhere in the State of Maryland (as well as the rest of the country!)
We invite our Opportunities, Inc. community to join the friends and supporters who have already invested close to $5,000 in the Project by making your gift HERE and indicating that the gift is for the Entrepreneurial Project. If you would like more information about the project, contact Paul Jackson at pjackson@opportunities-ing.com or 301-272-0245.