For 40 years, Opportunity House has helped those in northern Illinois with disabilities to find and keep a job, live on their own and learn to be as independent as possible, said John Kroos, who has been the executive director of Opportunity House for 33 years.

The organization’s programs cater to those who are either physically or mentally handicapped. Depending on their level of handicap, they are taught basic job skills, communication skills, coordination skills, personal safety skills and proper care for their health and home, Kroos said.

There are four group homes, including three in DeKalb and one in Sycamore. Some of the residents live in the homes, while others are able to move into their own apartments because of Opportunity House programs.

“We never really close our doors [to the people who come to Opportunity House],” Kroos said. “We have one gentleman who has learned to do his job so well and lives on his own that he only calls every five years or so, when he needs a new prosthetic leg.”

Residents of the group homes and those who live on their own can get a job working in a factory on sub-contract jobs, or they can get jobs in the community. The program teaches them to develop job skills while earning an income.

This year, Opportunity House’s supported employment program has helped 17 people who may have struggled with employment in the past to obtain and keep jobs.

“Some get to the point that they don’t need support anymore,” Kroos said. “That is one of our goals.”

Opportunity House also helps local charities and holds recreational activities to provide social time for residents. Some residents volunteer to work for Meals on Wheels or to dust shelves in the library, among other things.

They participate in the Special Olympics, which includes events such as softball, basketball and track and field. They also have group activities that include watching movies, going out to dinner, going dancing and attending NIU sporting events.

During the holiday season, Opportunity House aims for all residents to have fun around the holidays, Kroos said. Opportunity House annually holds a Thanksgiving dinner for those who do not go home or have nowhere else to go. They invite other people from the community who have no one to spend Thanksgiving with to have dinner with residents and socialize.

The organization is funded by the Department of Human Resources, the DeKalb County Mental Health Board, United Funds and individual contributors.

NIU students frequently volunteer as a part of the Special Education Program.

“Volunteers are always welcome; it is a good experience for college students,” Kroos said. “The biggest impact upon me and all that work here is the satisfaction of seeing them learn skills, get a job and move out.”