Great Nonprofits

Opportunity Junction makes a difference in the lives of adults and their families. The organization fights poverty by helping low income Contra Costa residents gain the skills and confidence to support themselves and their families. After our clients participate in twelve weeks of training in computer and life skills, followed by several weeks of paid internship, our Hiring Partners help us place graduates into good jobs with opportunities for advancement. Most of our clients are parents, so the program impacts the welfare not only of the adults who graduate, but also countless children and grandchildren throughout Contra Costa County. Our graduates often describe the adversity in their lives and how the program has helped them become more confident and skilled.

The return for volunteering on this board is enormous. You see at each graduation the positive results of your efforts. Entire families are involved in the support of the clients and they are all so happy. May times it is the first "graduation" for the client. I interact with some graduates in other work I do and they are both competent and confident. The alumni group continues to give support to graduates and the program. If we had the funds we could replicate it in other cities or counties.

I found out about Opportunity Junction by word of mouth. I applied to be part of class 25. After being accepted, I knew it was sort of a last hope for me. I went through the 12 week training phase. It was really tough and there were many times I wanted to give up. August 29th will be my last day here at Opportunity Junction and I am so excited to start a new career with the skills gained from this wonderful program. Opportunity Junction is an awsome program. It gave me hope to become a better person for me and my family.

Each time I attend a graduation ceremony at Opportunity Junction I am inspired once again by the human success stories they make possible, by the commitment of the staff to the students and by the quality of the personal and job-related skills that have been implanted in the students. The program is very challenging to the participants, but the results are obvious especially in the changes that have taken place in each students as a result of their participation. An excellent program, well-organized and well-presented.

This non-profit was a huge stepping stone in my life. I was fresh out of a recovery program with no job skills. At Opportunity Junction I recieved the skills and confidence needed to obtain a job to become self-supporting. I also have huge hope for my future. I attend all the Alumni meetings to keep connected with the men and women who have overcome the same obsticles that I have. I recommend this program for anyone struggling to make it out there in this economy. Man or women this program can teach what you need to know to move to the next level in your life.

I came to this non profit with the hope and intention of becoming the best possible candidate for employment with very old skills and very low self esteem. I had been a homemaker for years by choice and unintentionally excluded myself from the job market. Also by being at home I enjoyed being a wife and mother depending solely on my husband for support. In retrospect this was very short sided as my husbands fulltime 27 year occupation was outsourced. Enter trial, tribulation and struggle. This Non profit is a beacon,a light in the darkness and a port in the storm! Long story short this program really works! It is comprehensive, condensed and complete! The staff are dedicated to excellence and very compassionate about each individual and that individual's success during the program and after when the individual is an Alumni. How can someone rate such a life changing experience as this. Can you count the stars in the sky?