About Us
Mission
Enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities through creative community partnerships, vocational training, and employment opportunities.
About
Advance Opportunities
Advance Opportunities is a non-profit agency located in Marshall, MN. We provide quality vocational training, socialization, community integration, and employment opportunities to individuals with developmental, physical, and other disabilities.
We operate from a strength-based philosophy to support individuals in attaining their personal measure of vocational achievement by providing a wide variety of training and employment experiences.
Advance Opportunities has over 44 years of experience providing essential employment and training services to individuals with disabilities. Currently we are serving over 60 individuals.
Mark Goodenow
Val Nuy
Judy Timmerman
Dave VanDePutte
John Doyle
Marge Mann
Dale Hiland
Steve Glaeser
Minette Tyler
Cathy Schlagel
Agency History
Advance Opportunities, formally the Lyon County Developmental Achievement Center, was established in 1963 with 3 clients with developmental disabilities and 2 staff in Ghent, Minnesota. Over the years, the agency went through many transitions and moved into the Holy Redeemer School in Marshall. The agency utilized 3 classroom settings within the school. During the years in the Holy Redeemer school, agency staff, also known as teachers at that time, taught students reading, writing, math, social skills, checkbook balancing, etc. At that time, Developmental Achievement Centers offered an ongoing educational program in which young adults with developmental disabilities continued with their education post high school.
During the later 80’s, the agency began to shift focus from a school setting into a work opportunity program. The first work program that our agency began was our furniture refinishing service. To pilot this program, staff and family members brought in furniture for refinishing. Over time, word of mouth traveled and the furniture refinishing business flourished. Although this service is no longer offered, it served as an initial employment opportunity that met an important need in the community.
In 1988, the agency moved from the Holy Redeemer school to 1701 East College Drive (the Old Pamida/Gibson building). This move to a larger facility allowed the agency to expand service to more individuals.
In 1990, the State of Minnesota began to emphasize that agencies providing day services to adults with developmental disabilities should shift from a school to a work focus. Our agency began to network with local businesses and began to provide hotel, office and car dealership cleaning services as well as to continue to grow the furniture refinishing business. Over time, our agency developed many business relationships. Job coaches and work crews continued to provide cleaning services on site at many business locations. Businesses also began to contract with our agency to have collating, assembly and other work services provided on our work floor. Some of the earlier contracted internal work included taking apart VCR tapes and folding cardboard corners for Norcraft.
In April of 2007, we moved from our former location to our new building located at 1401 Peterson Street (behind Hardee’s and Godfather’s Pizza – look for the building with the red trim). Our new building boasts a car wash, two large work floors, a production room, shredding room and a seniors' room. Today, we partner with over 15 businesses to provide critical employment support both in the community and on site at our location. Services range from a full service valet car wash to a strong labor force capable of providing all of your light assembly or collating needs to a thorough cleaning crew that can provide excellent cleaning services on site at your location.
Click here for our Strategic Plan.
“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, Advance Opportunities does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability." (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)