Over 200 families rely on Opportunity Enterprises' respite services to care for their sons or daughters with disabilities when they need a break. Parenting is hard work and caregiver burnout is a serious issue for many parents of those with disabilities; being able to provide moments of relief is core to the mission of the respite program. Our highly trained and compassionate respite professionals are extremely important for these families, providing care so caregivers have a few hours to take care of personal business, have 24-hour support while traveling, or receive the extra help needed so that they can have a weekend away.
Beyond that, our respite program offers super exciting activities that allow our respite participants a break from their daily routine; they can make friends and build relationships in a fun and relaxing environment where Wii games and arts & crafts are the norm!
Our respite program has become so popular that our current respite home in Porter County is filled to capacity most weekends. The need is too great to be turning families away, so OE is opening a new home that will serve the needs of our families in a central Lake County location. This is OE's first Lake County home, and by the end of its first year we will be providing more than 10,000 hours of service in this location.
What does respite mean to the parents of the children that we serve? One parent put it best:
"OE's respite program is a breath of fresh air. You are an answer to prayer, and nobody could do a better job serving our son."
If you or someone you know is in need of respite services and would like more information, or to schedule a tour of our newest addition, please contact Christi Brooks at christi.brooks@oppent.org or via telephone at 219.548.0206 or 219.921.4065.
To help make these opportunities possible for the future caregivers and families of OE who simply need some "me" time, you can make a donation here.