Encouragement. Experience. Employment.

Opportunities Unlimited of Erie (OU) is an independently run, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that our current management officially acquired in 2020. Under the decade-plus leadership of our Executive & Associate Directors, OU has grown exponentially in the last few years, including expanding services to work with high school students as well as adults. With the unlimited possibilities the future holds, we are excited to continue providing Erie’s community members with services that are tailored specifically to meet their needs, enabling each individual to reach the greatest range of success possible.

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Restoring Hope & Supporting our Community

Opportunities Unlimited of Erie provides a variety of services for students and adults. Our goal is to restore hope to individuals in our community that face challenges in life due to physical & intellectual disabilities, as well as other barriers. We support individuals of all backgrounds by providing work readiness training, trade school tours, on-site job coaching, paid work experience internships, self-advocacy training, and so much more.

OU of Erie provides tools for our community members to gain the skills & confidence they need to obtain & maintain competitive employment and, in return, creating an overall productive, fulfilling life.

Who We SERVE

OU of Erie works with individuals currently matched up with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) of Pa and is hoping to build skills to have greater job security & mobility. The ADA defines a person with a disability as a “person who has a physical, intellectual, or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.” The OVR accepts people who have any history of such impairment, even if they do not currently have issues with that disability, as well as those in under-served areas within the community.

At OU of Erie, we strive to provide both pre-employment training and future supported vocational needs, with an overall goal of achieving independent employment. We want to restore hope and self-worth back into our Erie family by providing the tools & skills needed to show each individual what they are capable of.

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Our Mission

Our Mission: We create opportunities for students & adults with a variety of disabilities to learn & develop transferable skills in order to lead a productive, fulfilling life.

Our Values

OU of Erie understands the importance of clarity regarding our overall purpose in order to move in a shared direction of our mission. Our core values are the guiding principles that define how our we act each day, empowering our leaders & staff to be change agents in their community & beyond.

Equity & Inclusion
Community Collaboration
Leading, Listening, & Learning
Accountability & Confidentiality
Unity & Compassion

Our Services

Student Services: Individual & group work readiness programs – in-classroom instruction, off-site training, worksite tours/internships, etc
Adult Services: 12-week work experiences, pre-employment career development, on-site job coaching, after-hire development and maintenance, etc

In addition to our career training services, OU also owns Young’s Dry Cleaner & Janitorial Cleaning Services, fully staffed & operated by employees with disabilities. Interested individuals or organizations may contact us directly for rates for each of these services.

How You Can Help

Opportunities Unlimited is only able to keep our career training, employment services, and student programs running properly with the support of the community. Whether an individual or organization donates their time, donates monetarily, or collaborates with us as a workplace opportunity, they’re becoming a partner in our mission to restore hope to Erie’s individuals and families.

You can also take advantage of charitable-giving tax benefits that put money back into your business or personal funds simply for choosing our services. Organizations that partner with us as a job provider for our work experiences & internships receive an extra set of hands (that is fully paid by OU of Erie) all while creating an opportunity to help a community member learn & gain on-site skills to set them up for a successful vocational future.