Long-time volunteer Tom Matya became executive director of Opportunity House a year ago and is on a mission to strengthen and grow the services offered by the non-profit to help adults with disabilities. Matya originally came to the area in 1986 working for DeKalb Ag. He went on to manage the Foundation set up by the Roberts Family after DeKalb Ag became part of Monsanto and then got tapped to fill the open leadership spot at Opportunity House. Matya explained the various programs and services provided by Opportunity House to give adults with disabilities a chance to live in a home of their choice and be able to earn a paycheck in a work setting.
Opportunity House maintains nine residential dwelling sites for 62 clients with 24-hour oversite. Matya praised dedicated staff who helped keep the sites viable through even the worst of the Covid pandemic. He says the organization is trying innovative ways to meet the staffing needs of their residential units including the use of NIU students.
Matya explained that their programs seek to address the varying skill levels of clients. They have 55 people in their Community Day Services which provide them with organized activities. There are 26 people in their supportive employment program where they work at one of the 15 local companies that hire them based on their skill set. Another 59 clients participate in their in-house program that takes on jobs like light assembly or packaging giving clients a chance to earn money based on tasks completed.
Opportunity House serves clients primarily in the northern part of DeKalb County and Matya says there is always a long waiting list for clients seeking services. More details are available at their website: www.ohinc.org.