Out of Our Past Comes A Directed Future
In the mid-1960s residents of Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Redford and Garden City met to form the first Board of Directors of a non-profit corporation they chose to name Community Opportunity Center (COC).
The initial ambitious goal in 1985 was to develop a sheltered workshop to help people with developmental disabilities to learn work skills and enter the world of sheltered employment. Initially employees worked for 20 cents an hour with the hope that COC would soon meet the national minimum wage of $1.25 an hour. Because the financial burden of operating the workshop became greater each year, the League of Handicapped and the Mental Health Department took over the sheltered workshop from COC in mid-1968.
In 1972 the Plymouth property was purchased and a low-interest loan obtained from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Plymouth Opportunity House was the first home of its kind when it opened in 1975 to eight men and eight women. The home is ideally located in downtown Plymouth, within walking distance of job opportunities, shopping, and leisure activities.
Today, staff supports have increased and COC's ideas and expectations are more progressive and qualitative. But the initial vision remains constant -- that people have an inherent right to live with dignity, productiveness and enjoyment. Revenue to operate Plymouth Opportunity House derived from the room and board paid by the occupants through their Social Security entitlements and support from the Michigan Department of Mental Health.
Less than one year into the operation of Plymouth Opportunity House, the Board of Directors submitted plans to MSHDA to locate a home on its newly-purchased property in Redford. At about the same time, steps were initiated that would lead to the purchase of property in Livonia. Livonia Opportunity House was dedicated September 28, 1980.
Admissions criteria for POH and LOH are similar in that individuals must possess the skills to independently care for themselves with minimal guidance or support. Placement into either home would derive from the COC waiting list according to the date of application.
In January 1984 Redford Township approved a building permit for a six-person home. Construction began shortly thereafter and in November 1984 Redford Opportunity House became home to four women and two men. People selected to live at ROH require assistance in self-care skills and may be dependent in community living skills.
As the philosophy in the mental health field began shifting toward smaller group homes and more independent settings, COC began exploring apartment living and obtained a MSHDA loan for its next project -- Garden City Opportunity Manor, a 15-person apartment training program. The first tenants moved into Garden City Opportunity Manor in April 1985.
Individuals living at Garden City Opportunity Manor are expected to have developed community living and self-care skills. The apartment building includes seven two-bedroom apartments and a single one-bedroom apartment with each apartment consisting of a living room, kitchen and dining area, a bathroom, and storage closets.
Opportunities for progressive movement within COC owned and operated homes and apartments have become more abundant with each new residence. Following Garden City Opportunity Manor, COC purchased Balmoral House where two women live with 35 hours of staff support each week. The smaller home or apartment opportunities are referred to as Supported Independence Programs (SIP) or Self Determination Sites.
People living in these smaller settings are empowered to handle more decisions relevant to their quality of life, including who their support will come from, hours in which supports are provided and, more generally, how they decide to live out each day.
As the 1990’s drew to a close, COC opened the four-person Milburn House in Livonia for senior citizens with developmental disabilities -- one of the first in Wayne County. A second home for seniors with developmental disabilities has been developed in Livonia and is home to four men in their 70’s. Today we serve as a staffing agency and provider to nearly 100 people who live among 23 homes.
The COC Board of Directors, administrative leadership, and staff remain committed to effectively guide and assist persons with developmental disabilities to maintain equality, integrity and respect throughout their lives. Because life is filled with choices, responsibilities, obligations and opportunities, it is COC's mission to help people achieve their greatest potential.