For decades, two North Iowa organizations have worked together to connect hundreds of people with disabilities to job and housing opportunities in their communities.
But in the decades to come, they will do so as one.
“We are excited and optimistic for our future together and most importantly for the people we serve,” said Sherry Becker, executive director of the organizations.
On Jan. 1, North Iowa Vocational Center Inc., or NIVC Services, and North Iowa Transition Center, or NITC, will officially merge and become 43 North Iowa after months of discussion between their governing boards to determine the best path forward for the organizations and their clients.
This year marked the 50th anniversary of NIVC and the 40th anniversary of NITC — both Mason City-based organization were started by parents whose children had unmet needs.
“From those grassroots movements, we’ve evolved into this pretty major service organization, which is really cool,” Becker said.
Since 1969, NIVC has provided employment training and support to people with disabilities in the 10-county North Central Iowa region.
When the organization started, most people worked for NIVC, but for the past 15 years, the organization has partnered with businesses, like Curries, Sukup Manufacturing Co. and Smithfield Foods, throughout North Iowa to provide jobs for their clients and to satisfy area workforce needs.
NIVC, which has about 45 full-time and 18 part-time employees, serves nearly 400 people annually.
Some individuals work at NIVC’s Affordables resale stores, Java Works Coffee Shop in the Mason City Public Library and WorkCenter, but most work at businesses in the community, Becker said.
She estimates their clients are working in 110 to 120 businesses in North Iowa with support from on- and off-site job coaches as well as JobLink satellite locations.
“We have people who need lots of support and people who don’t need very much support at all. People who didn’t graduate from high school and people who have college degrees,” Becker said. “There’s a lot of variety in the people we serve and we work very closely with the regions and with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services to make those job opportunities available.”
NITC has been dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with mental illness since 1979 after deinstitutionalization in the U.S.
At that time, people with mental illness left institutions to return to their communities, but their communities didn’t have the capacity to serve them.
It serves about 139 individuals between 18 and 72 at a 16-bed residential care facility staffed 24/7, four three- or four-bedroom habilitation homes with daily support and programming, and supported community living with as-needed home visits.
“We all want the same general life, and we’re just here to help people who are more vulnerable have access to those things,” Becker said.
In 2017, NITC contracted with Becker after its executive director left and will be the executive director of 43 North Iowa on Jan. 1.
Becker said merging NIVC and NITC made sense.
The merge between NIVC, with a $4.6 million annual budget, and NITC, with a nearly $2 million annual budget, will reduce their administrative overhead, leverage efficiencies, expand their geographic footprints and improve services to their clients.
“We have people who only do employment or only do transitional living, but there’s a lot of overlap,” she said. “If we had a Venn diagram, there’s a lot of people in that middle section.”
Becker said the organizations’ merge into 43 North Iowa will not change their mission.
In fact, the tagline for 43 North Iowa is “Helping people find their way.”
The 43, Becker explained, is Mason City’s latitude.
She described 43 North Iowa as an organization that can be a compass for people with disabilities, both physical and mental.
“What we’re here for is to give people the support they need to have a better life and to help our communities meet the needs of people who need extra support,” Becker said. “None of us ever know when it might be us or somebody we care about.”
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