Village Family & Friends Association
The Opportunity Village Family and Friends Association serves as a support group and resource to the extended families of people we serve.The Association sponsors meetings in April and August each year, with presentations of interest to families, including updates on Village services. This also provides a chance for parents and families to visit with Village CEO John Severtson and other staff.
Dues in the Family and Friends Association are $10, with the fiscal year starting in April. These annual dues help put on the general meetings. Families do not have to be dues-paying members to attend the meetings.
The Association also suggests a gift of $25 to its Christmas Fund, which provides a holiday party to Village staff as a thank you for services throughout the year.
The group generally has a special project to raise money for a donation to Opportunity Village. For instance, the Association gave $10,000 to the Village's Building Future Opportunities Campaign, which provided for construction of an addition to the Kinney-Lindstrom Center. Gifts towards these special projects come from donations to the Family and Friends Association.
Most of all, the Family and Friends Association is a welcoming group for new people served by the Village and their families. With a shared deep interest in issues concerning individuals with disabilities, the Association can be a resource and support for parents, guardians, and family members.
The Family and Friends Association board of directors is a good place to start, if you want to talk to someone in the same position of caring for an individual with disabilities. Current officers are:
Carla Clark, President
515-289-1816
Donna Banta, Treasurer
641-923-3830
Kim Kelly, Secretary
641-357-0960
For more information about the Village Family and Friends Association, contact Michael Mahaffey, Chief Development Officer, at (641) 355-1231.
INFORMATION FROM AUGUST 2012 FAMILY & FRIENDS MEETING
Morning session - Attendees were given the opportunity to express their feelings and concerns about the announcement that Village RCF/ID clients will be moving into smaller homes in the community.
Afternoon session - Questions about the transition of RCF/ID cottages fell along several common themes and helped reveal topics that families felt needed more clarification.
More information about the transition is available here.