EV is a magical place. From the amazing opportunities it provides for its workers, to the caring atmosphere of is leadership, it’s hands down one of the most beneficial and wonderful organizations I’ve had the chance to work with.
Extraordinary Ventures is a remarkable organization that has filled a vital role in our community by creating meaningful jobs for individuals such as my son who has an intellectual disability. For close to 15 years he has been employed in their laundry business and office solutions business. In addition to providing wages for working, EV provides my son with a sense of purpose and belonging. The staff at Extraordinary Ventures are compassionate, creative, and deeply committed to supporting each employee's unique abilities. For families like ours, their impact is life-changing, providing not only opportunity but also hope. Our community is stronger, more inclusive, and more humane because of the work they do.
I had the privilege of working at Extraordinary Ventures for several years, and I’m proud to see this incredible organization continue to thrive. They provide employment with dignity for adults with disabilities, and the leadership and staff are deeply committed to the mission. Extraordinary Ventures truly lives up to its name!
Extraordinary Ventures (EV) is and has been an important part of our lives for the last 4 years.
My son has a genetic disorder. He was 24 years old when we moved to Chapel Hill during pandemic in 2021. We didn’t know anybody and jobs were hard to find let alone for someone with disabilities. With not much hope that EV would give him a chance like other employers in the area (no faults of theirs during pandemic). Not only he was given a chance with his disabilities, we were welcomed with open arms. He’s been going to work at EV ever since.
Many jobs at EV were thought through and designed with the employees’ abilities in mind. These jobs can be done in a much more economical way if making profits are their primary focus. To help employees feel confident of themselves and give them a sense of pride are the main objectives of the organization.
In addition to offering job opportunities, EV also provides regular social activities within the organization and with other organization to create an inclusive social environment for their employees.
We are forever grateful for having Extraordinary Ventures in the area we live in. Please join us in supporting this wonderful organization in any way you can. The entire EV family would appreciate it greatly.
Our son has volunteered, worked, and celebrated at the Extraordinary Ventures since its creation about 15 years or more ago. He has worked on many jobs until we found what suited him best. He has Autism and can become very anxious during storms but is very friendly and social. The staff at the EV worked with him and us until he found the perfect fit. He now works in the laundry pick-up and delivery service one day a week, and three days with simple clean on the buses. He gets to move freely and be productive. Bus drivers wave to him as we sit in our car at red lights. The Extraordinary Ventures has provided him with a community "family". Other employees who require more structure are provided with the perfect set up to wash and fold laundry. We even held his father's memorial service in the Blue Hill Room and an overflowing number of his colleagues were impressed. Our adult children with disabilities are truly served in many capacities that my son has benefited from for almost half his life as he is 42. Please join me in supporting this non-profit that has proven that it "sticks to its mission.
Extraordinary Ventures (EV) is a radiant shining star in an immense constellation of non-profits. With purpose, sustainability and high impact in mind at all times, EV goes the extra step in everything they do from laundry services to candle making, and from direct mail and other office assistance to meeting space management, and more! Best of all, their work force pulls from the disabled community – the very community they are passionate about serving. I can’t say enough good things about EV. I use the laundry service and purchase candles as gifts for family and friends. The service is prompt and always with a smile!
Extraordinary Ventures is an incredible company that has provided countless opportunities for the I/DD community in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh and beyond. EV provides employment for some incredible people across multiple businesses. Whether it be their laundry service, their office solutions department, their gifts department or beyond; Extraordinary Ventures has provided wonderful workers with meaningful employment and a sense of worth and accomplishment. These employees have a great work ethic and sense of pride, and their friends and family members are so proud of their accomplishments. The I/DD community of the triangle of NC is lucky to have a place like Extraordinary Ventures. It's more than a company, it's a community!
Extraodinary Ventures has given new meaning and joy to the life of my son with Down Syndrome. He has learned to take direction, complete tasks, be punctual, responsible, and to work within a team. In addition, he has purpose, earns money, and a feeling of belonging. These valuable lessons were learned in a positive, caring, and enjoyable environment. The director and staff model what a team is capeable of with vision and sustained care.
It is not often one finds all the wonderful components working together to create such positive outcomes for those who are often unemployed. This non-profit shines within and beyond our community with success.
I manage the work floor 5 days a week, and I adore my coworkers. I am consistently impressed by their drive to succeed, their consistency, attention to detail, stamina, professionalism, generosity, ACCEPTANCE of others and each other (MOST of the time), their kindness and senses of humor, their clear communication of needs/wants/problems/days off, and adaptability to new situations. They are eager to listen and learn and improve. Other employers are reeeeaaaaally missing out on hiring long-term high-achieving professionals when they overlook the IDD community.
Van loves working at Extraordinary Ventures. He takes pride in his work and enjoys the comraderie with his coworkers! What an awesome place to work.
Extraordinary Ventures is a forward thinking organization providing meaningful employment and needed services, benefiting both parties in our community. My family is especially grateful for their laundry service.
EV is a rare community nonprofit that not only offers several needed services, runs 5 profitable business lines to reinvest in its workers and nonprofit but does so while providing much needed and meaningful jobs for adults of neurodiverse abilities.
Extraordinary Ventures offers real jobs at real wages for all employees, even those who might require support. Laundry pickup and delivery with excellent results and friendly service, dog walking, modern beautiful and efficient event center, gift products, office solutions, and more! Truly an inspirational employment site that will put smiles on everyone's faces!
Parents of children with IDD are often filled with dread for what will happen to their loved one when they reach the "cliff" which follows the completion of secondary eduction. Social and vocational supports dry up, leading many adult children to disappear into lives of solitude which are devoid of meaningful outside contact and that lead to a slow wasting away of hard won abilities. Extraordinary Ventures provides an answer to this dilemma by creating employment opportunities which cater to the specific abilities of each employee. Over the past 15 years, hundreds of adults with IDD have be positively impacted by the organization, either by obtaining and maintaining long term employment with EV or by gaining marketable skills at EV and then moving on to other gainful employment in the community. These opportunities buttress the sense of self worth for each individual who has come through the organization and provides reassurance to their parents that the future for these adult children does not need to be defined by their diagnosis.
Over the years I've watched Extraordinary Ventures create meaning in the lives of its employees and volunteers. It fills a gap for people who struggle to find employment in our society, and gives them an answer to the question "What do you do?" I'm so grateful that this organization exists in my community and it has been an honor to volunteer and work with them for the last 14 years.
Extraordinary Ventures is a business in Chapel Hill where people with disabiilites feel successful and purposeful though employment opportunities. It is also a place where people in our community can support a diverse group of adults by using their services. My son Mason really wanted a job post high school. We looked all over town with no success. Business owners were not willing or unaware how to support a person with disabilities. EV has created jobs, skills, sevices that are needed in our communities and are successfully done by a very diverse group of employees. When society sees that employment is possible and successful more people will bw willing to try it!
Extraordinary Ventures is an incredible and unique organization! They've created a suite of small business to provide employment for folks with developmental disabilities. Having a job that matters is really important to everyone, and Extraordinary Ventures has been doing this awesome work for over 15 years, with more than 50 employees! It's a big deal for these workers because they feel really proud to have jobs and help out in the community. You can help out by using any of the businesses or, if you can, by giving a little money can help them hire even more people who need jobs!
Extraordinary Ventures is an amazing organization. They employ adults with autism and developmental disabilities in several different capacities. Having meaningful work is one of the most important components of our lives, and Extraordinary Ventures has successfully employed 50+ people for over 15 years. It is life-changing for employees, who are so proud to work and contribute to society. Support the Extraordinary Ventures businesses where these employees work. And please donate to support hiring more employees!
Extraordinary Ventures has such a great mission, "to employ those with diabilities." Many of their employees receive their first ever paycheck from EV and you can see how proud they are of themselves. Also, many of their members have fairly rigid schedules in group homes and Friday Night Live at EV gives them all a chance to play games and enjoy themselves.
Extraordinary Ventures is the best non-profit I have ever been involved with. It is an organization that rents out space for business meetings, receptions, yoga, just about anything. We employ teenagers and adults who have developmental disabilities and give them a chance to feel like they are an important part of the community and they get paid too. I, myself have mental illness and I have been voluteering for EV since June of 2009. It has been and continues to be a wonderful place to work and to help me feel like I am making a positive difference in the world. Everyone involved with EV has great things to say about it. It continues to grow and create wonderful experiences for an exceptional community.