-Submitted photo
Jayne Wilhelm, community relations and development director for Opportunity Living, stands amid the wooden butterflies and cats that were recently made to decorate the yards of Opportunity Living clients and members in Lake City, Rockwell City and Carroll.

LAKE CITY — Opportunity Living Community Relations and Development Director Jayne Wilhelm wanted to brighten up the clients’ and members’ yards and give them something positive to enjoy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s when she thought of a friend, Mayor John Westergaard in neighboring Lake View, who does wooden cut outs for his community, and she wondered if he would do some for the clients and members of Opportunity Living. Wilhelm reached out to Westergaard and he replied that he would love to do that.

Wilhelm and Westergaard decided on butterflies and a few cats as their theme. Phil Fanning and Wilhelm donated the wood and Westergaard, his wife, Laurie, and friend Connie Aasen, went to work cutting. Six hours later, the butterflies were ready.

Staff, family and friends of Opportunity Living started checking out butterflies and began painting. The 53 butterflies and cats have now migrated to the clients’ and members’ homes in Lake City, Rockwell City, and Carroll.

These pieces of art can also be found at the Activity Center Gardens located in Lake City and the Community Gardens located in Rockwell City. Opportunity Living Inc. invites people to vote on their favorites (voting begins Monday) and enjoy touring our communities to see the wonderful work done by so many staff, board members, children, families and adults whose wish is to make everyone smile, especially their clients and members.