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An Epic History
Drs. William and Latisha Webb
In 2010, Opportunity, Inc. began as a construction training class for men residing in a homeless shelter located in Philadelphia, PA. In the earlier part of 2011, Dr. William Webb, IV, a minister, grassroots leader and human services practitioner, saw the construction trades as a mechanism for advancing and creating opportunities for members of disenfranchised communities, in particular, returning citizens, veterans, youth, and women. Later on in 2011, Dr. Latisha Webb joined her husband by planning fundraising events and putting in the infrastructure. The Webbs charge was to create a non-religious entity led by people of faith to serve the spiritual, economic, and social needs of other African Americans and Hispanic communities. Soon enough a construction training class transformed into a trauma-informed non-profit organization that offers a variety of human services.
Moreover in 2011, Opportunity’s first location was in the historical building known as the Willie G. Williams Community Center using the FTGU program as a barter agreement to renovate and restore the historical site. The uniqueness about the community center lies in its conversion from the renowned Engine Company 11, one of the original 22 fire companies established by Philadelphia’s first paid municipal Fire Department in 1871. Until the Philadelphia Fire Department officially desegregated in 1952, Engine 11 was Philadelphia’s de facto Black firehouse. This first location confirmed the purpose of Opportunity to empower to extinguish the burning social fires through change agency.
At the turn of the year 2012, Dr. Webb, the President and CEO, began leading the organization with the vision to become a beacon of light for the community and society at large. Dr. Webb, his wife and the Director of Operations, developed the programs and curricula. Both worked together to lay the foundation and create alliances with like-minded entities.
In 2014, the organization rebranded itself by a name and logo change from OpportUNITY, Inc. to Opportunity, Inc. with a corporate mission to create favorable conditions for advancement for individuals who interface with the organization at all levels. In that same year, Opportunity, Inc. expanded!! It partnered with Sweet Union Baptist Church and HMC2 Civic Association in the Carroll Park section of West Philadelphia and opened Opportunity WEST.
The construction training class, the start of everything, is the organization’s flagship program titled, “From the Ground Up…” A Residential Construction Training Course (FTGU). It is also partnered with CareerLink, the city of Philadelphia's KEYSPOT, and Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia.
In 2017, the organization shifted. Through much soul-searching and lots of deliberation with the board Opportunity, Inc. decided to focus on consulting services. Opportunity, Inc. prides itself on helping other entrepreneurs and leaders with a start-up business or a new initiative.
Moreover in 2011, Opportunity’s first location was in the historical building known as the Willie G. Williams Community Center using the FTGU program as a barter agreement to renovate and restore the historical site. The uniqueness about the community center lies in its conversion from the renowned Engine Company 11, one of the original 22 fire companies established by Philadelphia’s first paid municipal Fire Department in 1871. Until the Philadelphia Fire Department officially desegregated in 1952, Engine 11 was Philadelphia’s de facto Black firehouse. This first location confirmed the purpose of Opportunity to empower to extinguish the burning social fires through change agency.
At the turn of the year 2012, Dr. Webb, the President and CEO, began leading the organization with the vision to become a beacon of light for the community and society at large. Dr. Webb, his wife and the Director of Operations, developed the programs and curricula. Both worked together to lay the foundation and create alliances with like-minded entities.
In 2014, the organization rebranded itself by a name and logo change from OpportUNITY, Inc. to Opportunity, Inc. with a corporate mission to create favorable conditions for advancement for individuals who interface with the organization at all levels. In that same year, Opportunity, Inc. expanded!! It partnered with Sweet Union Baptist Church and HMC2 Civic Association in the Carroll Park section of West Philadelphia and opened Opportunity WEST.
The construction training class, the start of everything, is the organization’s flagship program titled, “From the Ground Up…” A Residential Construction Training Course (FTGU). It is also partnered with CareerLink, the city of Philadelphia's KEYSPOT, and Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia.
In 2017, the organization shifted. Through much soul-searching and lots of deliberation with the board Opportunity, Inc. decided to focus on consulting services. Opportunity, Inc. prides itself on helping other entrepreneurs and leaders with a start-up business or a new initiative.
Also in 2017, Opportunity, Inc. partnered with Wade Jackson, affectionately known as the Pastor of the people, to oversee a food bank loaded with frozen meats, canned goods, baked breads and pastries, and fresh produce provided by local grocers and the other organizations around the city of Philadelphia.
In 2019, Pastor Wade, who is now referred to as Bishop Wade Jackson, opened up his own church titled, Keep It Real Ministry, where the food bank moved to the corner of 59th and Lansdowne Ave. It is recognized as the third largest in the city of Philadelphia. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down down countries around the world. Pennsylvania Governor Wolf ordered residents to shelter-in-place, which forced many businesses to close its doors and Mayor Kenny of Philadelphia followed suit. With individuals losing their incomes came the need for free resources to meet basic needs such as, food. The food bank now is one of 20 food respite sites* during the COVID-19 quarantine. The food respite is open Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm at 5900 Lansdowne Ave. In the summer of 2020, Opportunity, Inc. celebrated Bishop Jackson when it proudly gave the reigns over to the church's CDC after obtaining its 501c3 status.
In August 2020, the Sista2Sista Soul2Soul program was launched. Opportunity, Inc. connects women in the community with incarcerated and elderly women by creating communal art projects that translates into greeting cards and postcards. Individualized messages are written on cards with the custom paintings and mailed to women in PA women's correctional facilities: Cambridge Springs and Muncy. Women in the community who participate in the art project receive a ‘goodie bag’ with gender-specific essential items, such as sanitary napkins, toothbrushes, and nail files to name a few. All women, whether young or old, homeless, sheltered or behind bars are remembered.
In 2019, Pastor Wade, who is now referred to as Bishop Wade Jackson, opened up his own church titled, Keep It Real Ministry, where the food bank moved to the corner of 59th and Lansdowne Ave. It is recognized as the third largest in the city of Philadelphia. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down down countries around the world. Pennsylvania Governor Wolf ordered residents to shelter-in-place, which forced many businesses to close its doors and Mayor Kenny of Philadelphia followed suit. With individuals losing their incomes came the need for free resources to meet basic needs such as, food. The food bank now is one of 20 food respite sites* during the COVID-19 quarantine. The food respite is open Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm at 5900 Lansdowne Ave. In the summer of 2020, Opportunity, Inc. celebrated Bishop Jackson when it proudly gave the reigns over to the church's CDC after obtaining its 501c3 status.
In August 2020, the Sista2Sista Soul2Soul program was launched. Opportunity, Inc. connects women in the community with incarcerated and elderly women by creating communal art projects that translates into greeting cards and postcards. Individualized messages are written on cards with the custom paintings and mailed to women in PA women's correctional facilities: Cambridge Springs and Muncy. Women in the community who participate in the art project receive a ‘goodie bag’ with gender-specific essential items, such as sanitary napkins, toothbrushes, and nail files to name a few. All women, whether young or old, homeless, sheltered or behind bars are remembered.
A Culture of Leadership
Opportunity Inc.'s philosophy includes community-capacity building. The following provide a brief description of the cultural environment at Opportunity
Business Professional:
What others may consider as ‘formal’, we at Opportunity, refer to everyone who walks through our doors as Mr. or Ms. This restores and maintains dignity and respect.
Personal Empowerment:
We consider everyone to be the ‘expert’ in their own delivery of services. We work with each person individually to recognize and utilize their existing skills and to navigate the multiple systems and acquire other resources.
Trauma-informed:
We make the assumption that everyone has experienced some form of trauma at least once during their lifetime. We incorporate knowledge, tools, and resources that will assist them in their personal recovery.
Collective-conscious:
We are fully aware that we cannot accomplish the mission or fulfill the vision without the involvement of others who are like-minded.
Maintaining Boundaries:
We are not here to be friends or have any other type of relationships outside of our roles at Opportunity with the consumers we serve. We, at Opportunity, Inc., understand the difference between a true friendship and an effective professional relationship, which is the goal of every human services professional.
We have a deep respect for people’s emotions; yet, we maintain an effective professional perspective at all times. This protects all relationships within the organization, including the board-to-staff, staff-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-consumer, and consumer-to-consumer relationships.
Business Professional:
What others may consider as ‘formal’, we at Opportunity, refer to everyone who walks through our doors as Mr. or Ms. This restores and maintains dignity and respect.
Personal Empowerment:
We consider everyone to be the ‘expert’ in their own delivery of services. We work with each person individually to recognize and utilize their existing skills and to navigate the multiple systems and acquire other resources.
Trauma-informed:
We make the assumption that everyone has experienced some form of trauma at least once during their lifetime. We incorporate knowledge, tools, and resources that will assist them in their personal recovery.
Collective-conscious:
We are fully aware that we cannot accomplish the mission or fulfill the vision without the involvement of others who are like-minded.
Maintaining Boundaries:
We are not here to be friends or have any other type of relationships outside of our roles at Opportunity with the consumers we serve. We, at Opportunity, Inc., understand the difference between a true friendship and an effective professional relationship, which is the goal of every human services professional.
We have a deep respect for people’s emotions; yet, we maintain an effective professional perspective at all times. This protects all relationships within the organization, including the board-to-staff, staff-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-volunteer, volunteer-to-consumer, and consumer-to-consumer relationships.
A Value-Laden Approach
Opportunity, Inc. is a value-laden organization. Our 5 core values are...
Integrity:
We do what we say we are going to do. We pay careful attention to the messages we convey to the world about our organization and the services it provides.
Win-win Approaches:
All relationships will be mutually beneficial to all involved parties. In reference to consumers, Opportunity benefits solely due to the consumption of services.
Spirituality:
We embrace and interweave spiritual concepts in every aspect and function of the organization.
Cultural Specificity:
We are sensitive to diverse cultures with a specificity in the African American communities, its history, and its current conditions.
Multi-level Transformation:
We strongly encourage everyone from leadership to volunteer to consumer to collaborative partner to engage in continuous personal transformation. We believe that when each person transforms internally, then the organization will be impacted and transformed.
Integrity:
We do what we say we are going to do. We pay careful attention to the messages we convey to the world about our organization and the services it provides.
Win-win Approaches:
All relationships will be mutually beneficial to all involved parties. In reference to consumers, Opportunity benefits solely due to the consumption of services.
Spirituality:
We embrace and interweave spiritual concepts in every aspect and function of the organization.
Cultural Specificity:
We are sensitive to diverse cultures with a specificity in the African American communities, its history, and its current conditions.
Multi-level Transformation:
We strongly encourage everyone from leadership to volunteer to consumer to collaborative partner to engage in continuous personal transformation. We believe that when each person transforms internally, then the organization will be impacted and transformed.
Board of Directors
To the Left of Dr. Webb is Shamyiah Robinson and Romain Campbell-Diaz is to the RT
