Since OPARC’s inception in 1950, we have impacted and helped to transform the lives of tens of thousands of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) within the Inland Empire and Los Angeles County. Our mission is and continues to be to support, employ, and transform the lives of adults with I/DD. While we do receive funds from our local regional centers, there continues to be a gap between what we receive, and what we need to provide the award winning programming that our community has become accustomed to. This is where people like you come in! People who believe that everyone, regardless of their abilities, deserves the opportunity to receive critical life skill and vocational training in order to gain access to meaningful lives and careers.
In 2021, we started our Annual Founders Gala. This is an event where the community gets together, celebrates the achievements of OPARC, and honors a supporter of OPARC with the Founders Award. The award is highly coveted and desired by our supporters. It is given to an individual, family, or organization that has advocated for and helped to advance the mission of OPARC. Without the recepients of our Founders Award, OPARC would not be where it is today, and would not have made as large of an impact as it has.
Previous Award Winners
2022
John Gogian Family Foundation – The John Gogian Family Foundation is a private charitable foundation dedicated to supporting community-based organizations that enhance the quality of people’s lives in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. The Foundation was established In 1982 to further Mr. Gogian’s diverse philanthropic interests. His empathy for those less fortunate was shaped early through family life experiences that provided the inspiration for the Foundation’s work. Their grant-making is focused on organizations that serve the needs of those who are intellectually/developmentally disabled, vulnerable seniors, and vulnerable youth. Along with their grantee partners, they are committed to providing a positive and lasting impact in people’s lives by contributing to a safe and stable environment in which they can live an grow. The Foundation’s history with OPARC dates back more than 30 years. From funding programs to helping renovate OPARC facilities, The John Gogian Family Foundation’s legacy has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people with disabilities.
2021
Jill and Robert Elliot – Jill and Robert Elliot, the inaugural Founders Award recipients, are steadfast supporters and have roots that go back to OPARC’s founding. Jill is the daughter of OPARC Founder, Sally Keechler. Sally originally founded OPARC with a group of parents with children with I/DD who noticed a lack of services for children with disabilities. This parent’s group would eventually blossom and grow to the OPARC that serves over 700 adults with I/DD today. Jill and Robert’s commitment to carry on the legacy of Sally through the support of OPARC’s mission won them the inaugural OPARC Founders Award in 2021. We are forever grateful to their commitment to our mission of supporting, employing, and transforming the lives of those with I/DD.
