About Us

We are a group of 300 mothers, sisters, daughters and friends who believe in doing good in our community.

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OUR STORY

OPUS is an organization dedicated to supporting Person to Person in their mission to provide more than 24,000 people in our community with food, clothing, emergency assistance and scholarship programs. We do so through fundraising, volunteering and generating awareness of these programs and initiatives.

We were founded on Valentine’s Day in 1996, when a group of women envisioned how they could pool their time, talent and commitment in helping families in need. As Katherine Michele, co-founder and first president of OPUS, explains:

“Our hope was to bring an entirely new audience, full of energy, creativity, professionalism, and a new perspective to Person to Person.”

Since then, hundreds have joined us, logging countless hours volunteering and fundraising to help Person to Person in its mission. In the process, we have created lasting friendships and proven that women united in a shared goal is a pretty powerful thing.

How We Helped in 2022

  • Distributed enough healthy groceries for more than 2.1 MILLION meals
  • Provided 903 households with Thanksgiving holiday meals
  • Provided more than $1.1 MILLION in emergency financial relief
  • Allocated financial grants to 3,645 individuals
  • Empowered 94 college students with scholarships and adult mentorships
  • Made it possible for 307 local children to attend summer camp
  • Provided clothing assistance to 5,642 individuals
  • Distributed coats to keep 3,439 individuals warm

FROM OUR PRESIDENTS

Our Presidents

We are honored to serve as Co-Presidents this year and to continue the mission of OPUS which began over 25 years ago. As we look to the year ahead, we feel proud to serve alongside our board members and volunteers as we collectively support the work of Person to Person.

This year we invite you to join us through volunteer opportunities, attending member events, and our annual fundraisers and benefits. We continuously strive to be a welcoming environment for new members to join, give back, and meet and connect with other like-minded women.

Our primary goals for this year are:

First and foremost, to continue to align our mission to that of Person to Person. Throughout the year we will check in with the evolving needs of P2P and keep the OPUS membership informed and collaborating with the organization.

Secondly, as we continue to emerge from COVID, we are excited to reunite this community of women by returning to more in-person events. We know that we will accomplish more together than we would each individually and look forward to working side by side both as volunteers and organizers.

We look forward to a productive year ahead while making lasting friendships along the way. A sincere thank you to all the OPUS members for sharing your time, talents, and commitment to helping families in need.​

Katie Bruce, Mariana Kniffin, and Jessica Nichols

BOARD OF DIRECTORS