Bill Obenaus from Ability Center is one of Anthesis’ most supportive and enthusiastic supporters. His excitement and caring truly puts him in a category of his own! It is a pleasure to share with you, our reader, a little bit about Bill and how he came to be such a strong supporter of individuals with [dis]abilities.
Mr. Obenaus’ career didn’t start out working in the disability field, nor did he have a personal connection to the disability community. His career path began with years of working in the car business as a Finance Manager. He worked for Toyota, Rolls Royce and ultimately a Credit Union Bank where he had the opportunity to convince dealerships to move their financial process over to their bank.
Unfortunately, in 2008 when the Great Recession hit, Bill, like some many, lost his job. While searching for his next role he found a company called Ability Center, which he thought would be a great place to work. Ability Center’s mission is to provide their clients with mobility solutions that enable them to lead more active and independent lifestyles. This includes custom modifications such as a wheelchair van, driving aids, mobility ramps and mobility lifts.
He applied and waited for almost a whole year then got hired. He is now a Certified Mobility Consultant. He meets with families or individuals who have never heard of Ability Center, introduces them to the different types of vehicles they have and finds out their needs. It could be helping someone that needs hand controls, needs manual rear entry, side entry or other customized accessibilities. Bill feels it was worth the wait as he now gets to help a group of individuals who always appreciates his efforts to help those with disabilities take the next step to becoming independent. He also noticed that a lot of these families were not able to afford these customizations and he wanted to support them with his financial experience and knowledge to make the purchasing process a little easier and stress free.
In his tenure at Ability Center Bill has been fortunate enough to help many individuals and families find solutions to their transportation challenges. One example that is near and dear to him is when he worked with a Church Minister to help him become more independent. Bill did so by helping him design, finance and custom make a vehicle that would transport his powerchair. The minister had not been able to attend church for about two years because he did not have access to a vehicle that would accommodate his powerchair. Bill said that the day he drove his vehicle out to him, the minister broke down into tears and told him he was never getting out of the vehicle and that he was going to go to church that same day.
Bill creates a positive personalized experience to many Inland Regional Center families that would not receive the same attention if they went to a regular car dealership. Bill has learned and is eager to share with others that, “There are people out there who have disabilities and unbeknownst to you, they’re probably in your small circle of family or friends. I would tell everyone to make sure they listen to the stories of the individuals and their family members and if you can help in some way, do so.” He has seen how a little support can change someone’s life for the better.
It was this awareness that drew Bill to the work Anthesis and other non-profits do. Bill has also supported other organizations and events such as the MS Walks in Ontario, ALS Events in Redlands and Children’s Hospital Events in Loma Linda. When he learned about the opportunity to support Anthesis’ programs he jumped on it. Bill shares that he was particularly pleased to support Anthesis because of the dedicated staff and stated, “Because of people like you who wish to educate people about this community of individuals, it gives opportunities to partners like us who can help more families.”
Bill and Ability Center are part of a very special group of Anthesis sponsors who believe in and support Anthesis’ mission to support independent and inclusive lives for adults with [dis]abilities through employment and community integration. With both of our organizations serving the same group of individuals for many years and with our great partnership, we are both excited about the future of services we can provide to our individuals and their families. Please take some time to learn about the services Ability Center provides to the [dis]ability community here: https://www.abilitycenter.com/locations/inland-empire-ca/.
Thank you, Bill and Ability Center, for your ongoing support!