History

Going beyond 60 years

Since 1960, Avivo (formerly RESOURCE) has helped individuals transform their lives, particularly people who face significant and multiple challenges to self-sufficiency. This includes poverty, racism, mental health and substance use concerns, homelessness, little or no education, outdated work skills, limited English language skills, and more.

From its start as a vocational rehabilitation services provider in Minneapolis, Avivo now offers shelter and housing supports, chemical and mental health services, career education, and employment services for residents in the Twin Cities and St. Cloud metro areas.

Milestones

1960s

Leading vocational rehabilitation center.

Opened as the Minneapolis Rehabilitation Center in 1960 to serve individuals with disabilities.

Ran the first comprehensive, vocational evaluation workshop in Minnesota — one of the first in the nation.

Developed a center for continuing education, training vocational rehabilitation professionals throughout Midwest.

1970s

Expanded to recovery and mental health services, and employment services.

Opened aftercare services for individuals coming out of treatment (as Recovery Resource Center).

Offered day treatment and community integration for people living with severe mental illness.

Assisted unemployed workers find livable wage jobs (as Employment Action Center).

1980s

Partnering with employers for workforce development.

Implemented an industry-based training model to work with employers and discover skills needed in the workforce to train people accordingly.

Developed groundbreaking partnership with IBM, training people with disabilities in high-tech computer jobs.

1990s

Established licensed career school and commitment to undoing racism.

Became a State licensed career school, with campuses in St. Cloud and Minneapolis (as Minnesota Resource Center).

Noted as the largest specialized training school in North America for people with disabilities.

Established organization-wide diversity initiatives to increase staff diversity to reflect the growing diversity of people we serve and implemented commitment to undoing racism strategies.

Today

We changed the organization name from RESOURCE to Avivo. Full integration and pairing of our services – chemical and mental health, housing supports, career education, and employment services – create the strongest paths for life transformation for the more than 11,000 individuals we serve every year.