Today, Wayne County CEO students had the opportunity to spend the morning at the CDC New 2 U Resale Shop in Fairfield, Illinois!
Store Manager Beth Ann Colclasure and Tiffany Lafferty, QIDP/SDA, shared how the workshop operates, providing meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities through various workshops and community businesses in both Fairfield and Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
We learned that the workshop clients and consumers truly run the show at the resale shop. From receiving donated items, to sorting and tagging merchandise, to deciding how to responsibly dispose of unsold clothing, purses, shoes, towels, and bedding — they manage it all. They also take pride in keeping the workshop clean and organized.
The full-time employees and directors are always looking for creative ways to stretch every dollar. Workshop Consumer Roy Wiseman showed students the sorting bins and baling machine used for unsold goods, which are then sent on to St. Louis, MO to a company called Remains that purchases the items by the pound. Every bit of money earned is reinvested back into the workshop to supplement income received through both state and federal subsidy funding.
Thank you to Beth Ann, Tiffany, Roy, and the entire team for giving our students an inside look at how business operations can positively impact individuals and strengthen our community! The visit to the CDC Workshop and New 2 U Resale Shop is always an impactful one for students. It is truly an eye-opening experience to see firsthand how community services provide important employment opportunities while making a positive financial impact on the community at large.
