Growing Stronger Together

It’s been a milestone year for The Opportunity Tree, an organization dedicated to providing quality individualized support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In October, the organization celebrated its 60th anniversary, a much-deserved accomplishment that can be credited to the people and communities that believe “people with IDD deserve competitive, integrated employment in the community,” says CEO Kelli O’Toole. “Above all, our philosophy is to go above and beyond with our programming and advocacy.”

The Opportunity Tree’s roots actually date back to the mid-1950s, when the Perry family donated land to a group of families who created a school for children with IDD before they were mainstreamed into public schools. In 1963, the organization was formalized as the Arizona Foundation for the Handicapped, which was renamed The Opportunity Tree six years ago.

Today, the main campus remains, with the original three buildings at 32nd Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. But how The Opportunity Tree serves the community has expanded and evolved over the years. In 1971, a second location opened in Casa Grande, becoming one of the area’s first providers of IDD services. In 2020 and 2021, sites opened in Maricopa and Avondale, responding to a need in the West Valley. “In many cases, people were having to take their kids all the way to Scottsdale,” O’Toole says.

In total, The Opportunity Tree offers 22 Community Living sites, often called group homes, between Maricopa and Pinal counties, as well as a full range of services for members who are living independently. In an effort to redesign its employment services, the organization recently closed its sheltered workshop program, which had allowed employers to pay below minimum wage.

“As an organization, we decided that people with IDD deserve competitive, integrated employment in the community,” says O’Toole. “We were fortunate to get a sizable grant from Maricopa County two years ago to help create a new employment program. We offer job coaching and partner with employers to find opportunities for our members who want to live on their own and pay their own bills.”

Recent job placements include a member who works in a pre-K afterschool program and another who got a job at Sprouts Farmers Market.

For younger clients, the Tree Fort! youth transition program supports young people from ages 14 to 22 with afterschool programs, camps and summer programs. “As a parent, you have all these wraparound services that go away when a child with developmental disabilities graduates high school,” O’Toole says. “Our service coordinators help them through the process, answer their questions, and get them involved in our adult or employment programs.”

The LEAF (Life Enrichment and Fulfillment) Program includes activities from immersive outings to cooking and arts classes. Participants can also join the Fireslammers Special Olympics team, which was formed in 2020 and competes year-round in sports such as basketball, soccer and even TopGolf.

Another recent initiative was partnering with Hospice of the Valley’s supportive aging program at their Dementia Care and Education Campus on 44th Street in Phoenix. “Someone who has an IDD, specifically Down syndrome, has a 98% chance of getting dementia as they age. We’re seeing more of it because they’re living into their 60s and 70s thanks to medical technology,” O’Toole explains. “Staff members in our group homes may recognize a member has signs of dementia, but often a doctor will just say it’s the IDD. Hospice of the Valley received a grant to engage with a provider and, by the end of the year, we’ll have 20 individuals in the program. They’re excited about it, and we’re hoping to use it as a prototype for different providers in Arizona and around the country.”

With a background in accounting, O’Toole has sought to diversify The Opportunity Tree’s income beyond state funding. Contracting with a grant writer has helped secure several grants, including Thunderbird Charities and Fiesta Bowl Charities.

In October, the organization hosted the “Oh, What a Night!” soirée, its first-ever fundraiser. “We wanted to celebrate turning 60 years old, and then it morphed into a fundraiser, educating people about what we do and having them engage with our members, which is always an amazing experience,” O’Toole says. “Even though we’re 60, we don’t have a robust development department or individuals who’ve been giving to us for years, so that’s what we want to build upon.”