To honor our founder's legacy of giving, Opus and the Opus Foundation® launched the Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award in 2015.
Fueled by unwavering optimism, Gerry demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and a commitment to finding a better way to build a business, along with a community and values-centered life. With an enduring belief that business has a responsibility to strengthen society, Gerry ensured giving back was a cornerstone of his business, and it remains at the core of our organization today.
Each year, an office is randomly chosen, and the associates in that office get to select a winning nonprofit. In recognition of their impactful work, the nonprofit receives an Opus Foundation® grant totaling $1,000 for each year since Gerry Rauenhorst founded the business that would become The Opus Group of today.
2023 Winner
PREP-KC
Representing Kansas City
PREP-KC helps students attending Kansas City's urban school districts succeed in college and their careers. Their partner schools have 61 to 100% low income students and 40 to 99% students of color.
Kansas City associates volunteered with PREP-KC in 2019 at their "Mad City Money" event, which was designed to increase students' financial literacy with a focus on budgeting.
"We staffed interactive booths with topics including mortgage, transportation and daycare, among others," said Megan Garner, Senior Project Manager. "We've long considered this our favorite group volunteer event to date!"
Megan began individually volunteering with PREP-KC last year at their speed-networking style Career Jumping events. Volunteers speak with small groups of students for eight minutes each about their career path and how school was relevant to their path.
"I have done two of these so far – one with high school sophomores and one with sixth graders. Both times have been great, and I have always found the students to be very engaged," Megan said. "I take the opportunity to educate the students about the construction industry. I like to show them that a woman can be successful on this career path, and I also like to talk about the construction trades. It's important that kids know that working in the construction trades is a great career path that can start earning them money right after high school."
PREP-KC works to prepare students for life after high school graduation, whether that be college or entering the workforce.
2022 Winner
Starfish Initiative
Representing Indianapolis
Based in Indianapolis, Starfish Initiative works to "inspire, encourage, and prepare motivated high school students from the most vulnerable populations for college, career, and life success through one-on-one mentoring."
"When the Opus Indy team learned that we had been selected to choose this year's recipient, we were excited to be part of the process," said Richard Kauffman, Regional Vice President of Construction. "We considered a number of organizations, but ultimately focused on Starfish Initiative."
"Starfish has helped several thousand students realize their dream of going to college," said Brad Leimer, Director of Project Management.
In this most recent school year, 80 Starfish Initiative scholars graduated high school. Along with many other accomplishments, over 18,000 mentor hours were provided.
2021 Winner
The Link
Representing Minneapolis
In their own words:
No one should have to trade sex for a safe place to stay. And no young family should have to sleep in a car or outside because they don't have a home. The Link provides crisis support, emergency shelter and housing to over 2,000 youth and young families each year. They offer a safety net for youth often left behind, providing programs made to meet the needs of Black youth, LGBTQ youth, young parents and more.
Youth at The Link are moving out of survival mode and building stability. The impact is life changing: youth have a safe place to call home (often for the first time), are healing from trauma, achieving sobriety, developing trusting relationships, getting back to school, finding jobs they love and so much more.
With the Building Community Award, more youth and families will have access to housing and the vital supportive services offered by The Link.
2020 Winner
Creative Visions Human Development Institute
Representing Des Moines
Creative Visions provides resources to individuals who want to make a positive change in their life. Programing guides individuals and families toward sustainability and self-sufficiency through education, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
As their vision states, Creative Visions' breaks "the chain of poverty and hopelessness within vulnerable communities, by empowering the individuals from within them, to become prosperous and productive citizens, who contribute to and shape prosperous and productive communities."
Since their founding in 1996, they've helped thousands build stronger lives, families and communities.
2019 Winner
St. Mary's Child Center
Representing Indianapolis, IN
We're proud to name St. Mary's Child Center (SMCC) the 5th annual Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award winner!
Early childhood education matters! SMCC knows this and offers two initiatives to educate children, prepare them for kindergarten and mitigate the negative outcomes of poverty on their lives. SMCC's Preschool and Educational Outreach Programs provide a comprehensive scope of resources to help children developmentally in all aspects.
Over 90% of SMCC's three to five-year-old students live in poverty. Children in poverty hear 30,000,000 fewer words than their middle-class peers and are read to only 25 hours before entering kindergarten. SMCC's mission is to provide the highest quality early education program to benefit their 228 students throughout five Indianapolis locations.
SMCC uses the Reggio Emilia approach to emphasize the idea that children are strong, competent and capable. Their low adult-to-child ratio ensures that children are given quality care and attention. 80% of SMCC's students advance to kindergarten at a five-year-old developmental level.
For over 50 years, SMCC has worked with children to create a more successful future!
2018 Winner
Girls on the Run - Chicago
Representing Chicago/Milwaukee
We're proud to name Girls on the Run—Chicago the fourth annual Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award winner!
Girls on the Run is a physical activity based positive youth development program for 3rd – 8th grade girls. The innovative program combines training for a 5k with a research-based curricula designed to encourage positive physical and social-emotional health. Started in Charlotte, NC, in 1996, there are now over 200 councils across the country.
Girls face social pressures and conflicting messages about how they should act and who they should be. Girls on the Run inspires girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k. The 5k provides girls with a tangible experience of healthy goal setting and success and lays the foundation for future achievement.
In 2018, Girls on the Run-Chicago will serve 11,000 girls across eight Illinois counties, empowering them to become strong, healthy women.
2017 Winner
Women's Advocates
Representing Minneapolis, MN
We're proud to name Women's Advocates the third annual Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award winner.
Women's Advocates has the nation's first shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence. For more than 43 years, women and children have found a safe place at Women's Advocates.
Using personal and professional experience in their service, Women's Advocates staff have provided around-the-clock shelter and advocacy support to more than 40,000 individuals.
Women leave the shelter with resources, safety plans and continuing support, so they may continue their journey towards safety and stability. Additionally, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, Women's Advocates provides domestic violence and prevention education through presentations, resource materials, tours and online engagement to thousands each year.
2016 Winner
School on Wheels
Representing Indianapolis, IN
For the past 15 years, School on Wheels has positively impacted the Indianapolis community through innovative academic programming that meets the unique needs of the community's most vulnerable youth. School on Wheels provides one-on-one tutoring and educational advocacy for children and their families, helping break the cycle of homelessness through education. Each year, School on Wheels partners with 13 transitional and emergency shelter sites and select public schools to serve hundreds of homeless children. In total, School on Wheels has provided its tutoring services to 4,600 children.
2015 Winner
Operation Breakthrough
Representing Kansas City, MO
Based in Kansas City, Operation Breakthrough is a one-stop shop that serves more than 400 children daily and creates opportunities for families to thrive. The organization began in 1971 with four babies in Sister Berta and Sister Corita's living room. Today, it provides programs for children from birth to age 13.
Operation Breakthrough's mission is to prepare children for success in school and empower their parents to become self-sufficient, engaged caregivers. Nationally accredited early learning, after-school and summer programs focus on academic achievement and healthy character development.
Operation Breakthrough provides on-site healthcare and a host of therapeutic interventions for those suffering from trauma or developmental delays. Knowing that children won't reach their full potential without a strong start, Operation Breakthrough also provides health and emergency services, housing/employment assistance, parenting classes and other support.