From polka dots and poodle skirts to cat-eye glasses and leather jackets, 350 guests and 65 volunteers rocked and rolled at Opportunity Partners’ Fabulous ‘50s Gala on April 27 at the Hotel Sofitel in Bloomington.

When the party was over, more than $100,000 had been raised to support people with disabilities living, learning and working more independently.

Check out photos from the event.

In its inaugural year, the awards recognize small, mid-sized and large businesses that continue to make an impact and set the standard of excellence for others to follow. Beginning in February 2012, independent research group, Gilmore Research, gathered information from employee satisfaction surveys over phone and mail. Over 5,769 individuals responded on behalf of hundreds of companies.

“It is truly an honor to recognize leaders in the Minnesota business landscape who strive to raise the bar in employer satisfaction,” stated Kate-Madonna Hindes, Editor-in-Chief of Minnesota Business Magazine.

Minnesota Business Magazine announcement.

Last week, employees at the nonprofit began preparing a promotional giveaway project for the Major League team. For the second consecutive year, people with disabilities at Opportunity Partners rolled, banded and boxed official Minnesota Twins schedule posters for the team – 60,000 to be exact.

Opportunity Partners serves 1,700 disabled adults metro-wide through its employment, residential and training programs each year.

The posters will be handed out to the first 20,000 frans who attend the Twins home games against the Texas Rangers April 13-15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

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“The Minnesota Twins selected Opportunity Partners once again to help prepare promotional posters for the 2012 season,” says Luis Lozada, purchasing manager for the Minnesota Twins. “We were so pleased with their dedication to quality and efficient turnaround last year, coupled with the fact that their goal is to provide work opportunities and independence to Minnesota’s disabled community, that the decision to use them again was an easy one.”

The posters, sponsored by the Star Tribune, will be given to the first 20,000 fans at each of the home games against the Texas Rangers on April 13, 14 and15 at Target Field.

Video, photography and interview opportunities will be available to the media on Tuesday, March 27 and Wednesday, March 28, from 10:30am-11:30am and 12:00pm-2:00pm. To schedule an interview, please contact Suzy Feine at 612-723-7181 or via email at sfeine@opportunities.org. Interviews and photo shoots will take place on location at Opportunity Partners, 5500 Opportunity Ct, Minnetonka MN 55343 (off Hwy 169 and Bren Road).

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This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality. 

Opportunity Partners is a nonprofit organization with offices throughout the Twin Cities area. It has been providing services for people with disabilities since 1953.

In addition to its three-year accreditation, Opportunity Partners was awarded “exemplary conformance” for its Certified Learning Platform program which provides training in collaboration with Dunwoody College of Technology The program, piloted in 2010 with a certificate in professional cleaning, has recently completed several classes in retail services. A third certificate program, office assistant, is now under development.

“I am proud to work with a team of employees that supports and demonstrates the high quality level of performance and services as defined in the CARF accreditation report,” said Opportunity Partners President & CEO George Klauser. 

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information, refer to http://www.carf.org

Opportunity Partners – redefining “disability” through advanced learning, deep community support, and meaningful work – proving that everyone, when given the opportunity, adds value to our world.  Help redefine disability – become a partner in our cause at http://opportunities.org/

The cost of the dinner is $7 for adults, $4 for children under 12, and $30 for families of 5 or more. Tickets are available at the door.

The menu includes spaghetti with meatballs or meatless sauce, salad, bread, dessert and a beverage. Take- out is also available. Guests will also have a chance to tour Opportunity Partners and learn about available programs and services.

Opportunity Partners is a Twin Cities nonprofit organization serving 1,500 people with disabilities each year through employment, residential and training programs that build independence and shape a richer community.

For more information about the event, contact Opportunity Partners at events@opportunities.org or 952-930-4286.

Funds raised will be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Opportunity Partners – redefining “disability” through advanced learning, deep community support, and meaningful work – proving that everyone, when given the opportunity, adds value to our world.  Help redefine disability – become a partner in our cause at www.OpportunityPartners.org.

This is a tale of three business partners working together to get products to maket cost effectively while providing job opportunities to workers with disabilities. It’s a story of innovation in production logistics and workforce management that is helping dozens of employees with developmental disabilities, autism and other special needs become independent – while helping their business partners succeed.

It starts with Graco Inc., a publically held, national leader in fluid handling systems – pneumatic spray guns, pumps, nozzles, and related parts used in the application of a wide range of industrial fluids. Many of their smaller parts are distributed in blister packs. Blister packs need assembly and that’s where the partnership begins.

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Julie Olson Topp Employer of the Year Award, Whole Foods Market

Emily Stockinger of Whole Foods Market accepted the Julie Olson Topp Employer of the Year Award. The award spotlights a company with an inspirational strong work ethic. Whole Foods Market’s dedication to hiring workers with disabilities whenever it can and proactively contacting Opportunity Partners with job openings made them the perfect recipient for this year’s award.  

Whole Foods Market is the leading natural and organic food retailer with more than 300 stores and $9 billion in sales last year.

Laura Zemlin Employer of the Year Award, General Mills

The Laura Zemlin Employer of the Year Award recognizes a company that provides outstanding supported employment work opportunities in the community. Twenty Opportunity Partners participants currently work at one of three General Mills locations each week. The award was accepted by General Mills’ Mike Hon.

General Mills’ quality brands began with Gold Medal Flour in 1880. General Mills is now home to some of the world’s best-loved brands, including: Betty Crocker, Green Giant and Cheerios.

Customer of the Year Award, Graco  

The Customer of the Year Award is presented to a company that has provided exceptional work opportunities to Opportunity Partners’ participants. Since 2004, Graco has provided 5,000 hours of work for people with disabilities each year. Everyday, up to 10 people package a variety of filters and strainers for the company. In 2010, more than 200,000 units were packaged for Graco. Karl Hurston, Strategic Sourcing Manager at Graco, accepted the award.

Founded in 1926, Graco is a world leader in fluid handling systems and components.  

New Customer of the Year Award, Lunds & Byerly’s

Julie Griffin, Director of Lunds & Byerly’s’ Private Brands, accepted the New Customer of the Year Award. In the last year, a 100-person workforce from Opportunity Partners packaged more than 70,000 tubs containing 35 varieties of candy.

Lund Food Holdings Inc. owns and operates 10 Lunds’ and 11 Byerly’s’ supermarkets in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.

The awards were presented by Opportunity Partners’ President and CEO, George Klauser. Four Opportunity Partners participants helped present the awards: Andy Tanghe, Katie Worrell, Jake Kukla and Michael Young.     

About Opportunity PartnersOpportunity Partners, a nonprofit organization, has been satisfying customers since 1953 with its talented workforce of people with disabilities. Today, the organization helps more than 1,700 people with disabilities live, learn and work successfully each year through employment, training, and residential programs that build independence and shape a richer community.

 Opportunity Partners – redefining “disability” through advanced learning, deep community support, and meaningful work – proving that everyone, when given the opportunity, adds value to our world.  Help redefine disability – become a partner in our cause at www.OpportunityPartners.org.

Looking to make the center cost effective and efficient, it decided to reach out to a workforce demographic that hadn’t been tapped in large numbers before – people with disabilities.

Randy Lewis, Walgreens’ senior vice president of supply chain management, who has a son with autism, came up with the concept.

Lewis used Walgreens’ story as an example when he spoke at “Celebrate Opportunity – An Executive Networking and Business Recognition Luncheon,” Nov. 1 at the Doubletree Park Place in St. Louis Park. Minnetonka nonprofit Opportunity Partners and the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce hosted the event, which about 400 business people attended.

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