Please join us at the University Club of Kentucky on Thursday, July 22nd, for the 2021 OWL Foundation Golf Outing, presented by Schneider Electric!  

Event registration begins at 10:30 AM, followed by lunch from Raising Canes at 11:30 AM, and a shotgun start at 12:30 PM, and a 19th Hole Reception dinner from J Renders, courtesy of SRC Lexington, to close out the day. Entrance fees are $150 per individual golfer, or $500 per foursome, and cover 18 holes of golf, cart, range balls, lunch, dinner, giveaways, contests, and course refreshments. 

The OWL Foundation’s mission is to provide financial sustainability for the long-term success of Opportunity for Work & Learning (OWL) and its vision, as well as other organizations that have a similar mission to, but apart from, OWL. The OWL Foundation believes all people deserve access to the resources, tools, and knowledge to create professional opportunities and achieve personal growth, ultimately leading to long-term stable employment.  

Opportunity for Work and Learning (OWL) impacts lives and strengthens communities through building a supported, inclusive, and sustainable workforce. Originally established in 1961 as a workshop for individuals with severe disabilities, OWL broadened its focus over the years to include community-based employment services and expanded our programming to include individuals with all types of factors impacting their ability to obtain and maintain employment. These factors include physical disabilities, mental illness, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, substance use disorders, socio-economic barriers, and those who are justice system involved.  

This year marks OWL’s 60th year of changing and enhancing lives, and we hope you will join us in celebrating together as we raise awareness and support for individuals in our community who require the employment resources we provide. 

Proceeds from the golf scramble support the programs and services offered by OWL to improve lives like:

• Cody Shepherd has been looking for a job that will allow him to become self-sufficient. He has had difficulty maintaining stable employment. But he had a job goal and through the assistance of Employment Coordinator Karen Coffield, he was able to obtain and maintain a job for over 5 months, a strong indicator of success. This will be his first job for that length of time. He works as a bagger at Kroger which allows him to use his strengths within his limitations. He now has a job that fits within his abilities by allowing him to stay focused by performing repetitive tasks.  Cody states he likes what he is doing. He says that he gets along great with his co-workers. He often arrives at work early. He says, “I have a reason to get up in the morning.” Cody’s Supervisor, Tag Huffman, states that he does a great job for Kroger. He wishes that he had more employees like Cody who show up earlier than their shift starts. Cody and his mother have thanked Karen several times for all the work that was put in finding this position and appreciates every- thing that has been done to keep him employed when things became tough.

• After years of unstable employment, Jeff Holt was looking for a job that would add to his ability to maintain independent living and his quality of life. With the assistance of Employment Coordinator Andy Cotter, who assessed his skills and needs, identified jobs, and assisted him in obtaining a job, he has been employed for over four months as a custodian cleaning common areas for University of Kentucky.  He says that he is really happy to find a job that he enjoys doing. He hopes to eventually work full time. He says that Andy was wonderful. “He did everything possible to help me find a job.”

• Meet Heather! Heather is a valued employee at Dairy Queen in Frankfort. ACES supports Heather through Supported Employment. We meet regularly to discuss her employment goals and how she can contribute in meaningful ways at Dairy Queen. ACES assists Heather to advocate for herself on the job including mastering new, valuable skills. We also evaluate progress toward long-term goals and encourage future career planning and growth.  With the help of ACES, she honed her customer care skills, learned to operate a cash register, maintain the eat-in dining area, and assist with food preparation.  Because of Heather's willingness to learn and grow as an employee, she is now a trainer of new employees.  Her hard work and growing responsibilities maker her a valuable employee, and she continues to be an asset to Dairy Queen and the entire Frankfort community.  

• Tyler Conner wanted a job that would allow for advancement and the ability to care for his two children. He had been working in production for a couple of years making $8.25 an hour. Employment Coordinator Arnetta McClary was able to assist him in obtaining a job as a Warehouse specialist for Aerotek at Bluegrass Station where he primarily fulfills incoming orders for Lockheed Martin increasing his pay to $17.35. This job has allowed him to use his strengths while leveraging his physical limitations. Tyler says that what he likes most about his job is that he likes to work with good people, and he has the potential for great success. He believes that OWL staff has supported him by “...providing me with more positive thoughts. They had more confidence in me than I had in myself." 

          His favorite quote is: “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”  -- Jimi Hendrix

• Summer Hill has been looking for a position that will provide her more hours and use her skills in customer service so that she can pay the bills. In the past year, Summer Hill successfully completed Employment Readiness Training at OWL and is Customer Service Certified. She says that she learned so much from the classes taught by OWL Educational Coordinator, Markeita Wilson. Although she was already working at Walgreens in Jessamine County, Employment Coordinator Charlotte Kidwell was able to assist her in obtaining employment with Walgreens in Lexington – a job that is better suited for Summer. Summer and her mother have expressed the following: “OWL and Charlotte have helped me so much. My job has given me freedom and I’ve learned independence. I enjoy my coworkers. Everyone is nice. I also enjoy being a cashier and greeting customers. They have taught me confidence and learning how to work with the public.”

• Meet Liz! Liz is an outgoing person who loves connecting with others. ACES supports Liz through Community Living Supports which emphasizes meaningful connections in the community and promotes independence at home. She enjoys meeting with her friends to watch movies or going out to eat. With the support of her Direct Support Professional, Liz has access to community groups, volunteer opportunities, and resources in her neighborhood.  Liz enjoys writing letters to stay in touch with pen pals, so we help her improve her writing skills ensuring she effectively communicates her thoughts and feelings with her friends. Personal wellness and fitness are also important to Liz, so we help her learn new, great tasting, healthy recipes to help her reach her goals. Liz is becoming more independent at home by practicing self-care, managing her schedule, and understanding finances as well. She has grown in her ability to manage responsibilities and is taking the leading role in her continued success.