Inclusion Foothills is branching out.

On top of their existing High River office, they’ve now established a 'JOBZ Centre' in Okotoks.

The organization is sharing an Elizabeth Street office space with The Eagle 100.9 and is inviting locals to pay them a visit via an open house on May 2 from 1-3 p.m.

Executive director Orvella Small says all are welcome, whether they’ve only just heard of Inclusion Foothills, or have been working with them for years.

“Any agencies we partner with and work with us, to see what we’re doing now, businesses, because we do support businesses in the community, and any families or participants that are actually accessing the services or curious as to what we’re doing.”

The organization offers support for individuals with disabilities as well as their families.

Small explains that over 23 years of operation, Inclusion Foothills has necessarily had to expand its services and programs.

“Inclusion Foothills does lots under the umbrella of family support. That’s our grassroots. When we started, everybody that was a part of Inclusion Foothills had young children. They grow up and they need a life in the community, the need employment, they need homes, all those kinds of things.”

One program that was introduced out of those necessities was the Having Inclusive Rewarding Employment program (H.I.R.E.) which is intended to help those aged 16 and up facing employment barriers.

Small says their services are offered to individuals of all ages and diagnoses.

“We’re very broad in our definition of ‘inclusion’ because when you live in a rural community, you can’t designate one diagnosis over another, it just wouldn’t work.”

She also emphasizes the organization's desire to find support for people who need it above all else, even if the support they need might be somewhere else.

“If we’re not the right door, we will refer to another and we’ll walk beside them, not ahead of them, to make sure they get the supports they need.”

More information on the open house can be found on their event page.