Work & Day Service Options

Opportunity Village offers services to help an individual identify his or her job interests, assess skills, learn new jobs, and find meaningful work.

The Village also provides options for therapy, leisure activities, and wellness through day services.

Every weekday, more than 200 people attend the Clear Lake or Garner centers for pre-vocational job readiness training, work activity, and therapeutic activities.  Over 30 individuals work at Northwoods Products and Services in Fort Dodge, a service of Opportunity Village.

For a closer look at what goes on at the Village's Kinney-Lindstrom Center in Clear Lake every weekday, watch our video.

Work Opportunities

Many of the paid jobs at the center are made possible through contracts with local businesses.  Companies hire the Village work force for small assembly, packaging, mailings, and other production jobs.  For instance, Village workers package kits for doors made by Larson Manufacturing Clear Lake and Lake Mills operations.  Other customers of the Village production area include local manufacturers, printing services, distribution centers, and industrial equipment companies.

The Village shop offers room for various cutting and drilling operations.  Workers construct standard and special-order pallets.  We can work with businesses to meet their specific needs.

Our recycling center helps keep over 1 million pounds of waste out of the local landfill each year.  Workers process paper, cardboard, aluminum, and textiles using three industrial balers.  The Village offers confidential document destruction services to local businesses.  We also sort bottles and cans for redemption, in a joint effort with the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber provides drop-off bins around town, and the Village collects and sorts the bottles and cans.  The deposit returns are shared between the Village and the Chamber, which uses its share to support Clear Lake's annual Fourth of July fireworks.

Work crews provide services in support of the Village, such as gardening, janitorial cleaning, and food services. 

The Village also offers facility worksite assessments and work adjustment, in cooperation with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services.  These short-term  programs help individuals explore their work interests and skills or make the transition to a job.

Individuals with higher work skills can get help finding jobs in the community, with job coaching from Village staff to assist them in learning and maintaining their positions.  Supported Employment for individuals or enclaves (crews working in community settings with staff supervision) offer greater opportunities for growth.

People served at Northwoods Products and Services in Fort Dodge produce good quality plastic trash liners, for sale at a reasonable price.  NPS also offers shredding of confidential documents.  Pickup and delivery is available.  NPS workers also are available for sub-contract work, such as assembling, sorting, collating, packaging, labeling, or mailing, enabling businesses to save valuable time and reduce cost.

Day Service Options

There's more to life than work, and Opportunity Village offers an array of therapeutic and leisure activities.


Many individuals receive more than one type of service.  Some people are ready to retire from paid work.  Others are needing support in social and community skills or are unable to work.  The Village offers meaningful day activities to meet a range of personal needs and interests.

Day activities might include enjoying a game, petting visiting animals from the Humane Society, or practicing basic cooking skills.  At the Clear Lake location, Creative Arts and Art Therapy offer outlets for expression and structured learning.  Our indoor Boyer Pool, a heated therapy pool, and a full gymnasium provide opportunities for exercise. 

Many people enjoy the Computer Lab, where they can surf the Internet, send e-mails to family, print a card, or write a story.  Green Production involves people in growing our own vegetables and products for sale, such as bedding plants and pumpkins.  This gardening department also is in charge of groundskeeping at the Clear Lake site.

Music Therapy uses music as a learning tool, involving individuals in performance groups, song-writing, dance, and physical exercise.

Northwoods Living in Fort Dodge offers a Life Enrichment Adult Program (LEAP) for under 10 individuals as a day service.  Clients receive services that enable them to optimize their personal and social lives.  They may attend area events and attractions; develop domestic, personal care, and health skills, and learn self-advocacy and appropriate behavior.

For more information about all services at Opportunity Village, contact Elisha Payton at (641) 355-1248. 

For information about how the Village workforce in Clear Lake or Garner can assist your business, contact Marilyn Arndorfer at (641) 355-1208.  For information about Northwoods Products and Services, call (515) 573-5757.

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