[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF OPPORTUNITY, INC.: AN ORGANIZATION THAT LIVES UP TO 
                                ITS NAME

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN EDWARD PORTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 1997

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize 
Opportunity, Inc., an outstanding organization located in Highland 
Park, IL. This is truly a remarkable enterprise and a magnificent 
example of the initiative needed to help people move from welfare to 
work and a better life.
  Opportunity, Inc. is a unique, not-for-profit contract manufacturer 
that employs 120 persons, most of whom have developmental, physical 
and/or emotional disabilities. Founded in 1976 by local construction 
executive John Cornell, who still serves on the Board of Directors, the 
company will hold its annual HandicapableTM Leadership Award 
Dinner in Chicago on September 30. Noted conservative author and 
commentator, George F. Will, will be the keynote speaker.
  The company's mission is twofold: First, to provide a mainstream 
plant environment in which handicapable people can work and earn a 
paycheck as well as the dignity that comes from being employed 
productively on a full-time basis; and, second, to provide its private 
sector customers with the best possible quality, price, and service.
  As everyone understands, budget constraints compel us to look for 
ways to effectively address important needs without government 
subsidies, and Opportunity, Inc. is leading the way in this regard. A 
model of community response and innovation, the company has 
demonstrated how competitive and productive HandicapableTM 
employees can be. Opportunity, Inc. built and continues to operate the 
Nation's only not-for-profit, certified class 100,000 clean rooms for 
medical and surgical packaging. The firm's commitment to quality is so 
stringent that its principal medical/surgical customer--Baxter, 
International--has not rejected a single lot of product in over 7 
years.
  When I visited Opportunity, Inc. last year, however, I learned that 
its business success, while impressive, pales in significance to the 
positive contributions it has made to its employees' lives. I 
experienced firsthand how proud, dedicated, and competitive they are. 
As one man said to me, ``Congressman, all we need is a fair chance to 
compete. That's what we get here at Opportunity and just look at the 
results!'' Clearly, Opportunity, Inc. is an organization that lives up 
to its name.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a congressional district that 
includes enterprises of this caliber. It is my pleasure to salute the 
employees, management, and directors of Opportunity, Inc. on the 
occasion of their annual dinner, and to extend my personal 
congratulations to Harold, Peter, and Ron Foreman, who are the 
recipients of this year's Handicapable Leadership Award for 20 years of 
service.
  I also commend Opportunity, Inc. as an example to my colleagues, who 
believe, as I do, that we must look to the private sector and to the 
local level for alternative solutions to difficult social problems.

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