Thrift Store to Employs Adults with Disabilities

According to the Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate for adults with an intellectual or developmental disability is 79%.

There’s a new store coming to southeast Decatur, and shoppers can look forward to supporting a valuable mission as they hunt for bargains. Everyday Sunshine is a local nonprofit organization working with GraceLife Church to open a thrift store to employ adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They're looking for funds to renovate their space into a more disability-friendly environment. This includes renovating bathrooms and widening doors for easier wheelchair access.

According to Everyday Sunshine Director Jeff Sharp, this project has been a few years in the making, but the motivation was sparked by his daughter, Amelie, who has physical and intellectual disabilities. “When Amelie started attending the ARC of Morgan County, we met other parents of children with disabilities,” Sharp said. “One of the main concerns that they all shared was, ‘What is my child going to do when they finish school?’” “My wife, Andrea, and I started looking around the country to see what other communities are doing to solve this problem and one place really caught our attention - Our Thrift in Franklin, Tennessee.” Sharp contacted Our Thrift Store’s founder, Dave Krikac, and went up to tour the store and learn more about the organization. Now, he’s prepping for his own thrift store adventures.

GraceLife Church offered a 4,000-square-foot section of their building to assist the mission. “We rejoice in sharing our space for the creation of a place that serves those in the community with disabilities,” said Pastor Orville Collins of GraceLife. “We’re excited to see the impact through this new opportunity within our city and church.”

The Everyday Sunshine Thrift Store will concentrate on a few items including clothing, houseware, toys, books and collectibles. The store will employ eight adults with disabilities and Sharp hopes to increase that number in time. “The problem won’t be finding people who want to work; it’ll be creating enough jobs,” he said. “Our goal is to be an inclusive, public environment for them to gain experience, a sense of purpose and take steps toward independence.”

In addition to employing adults, the thrift store will serve as a work co-op for students from Decatur High School’s AIM Developmental Program, where students will work with job coaches to learn job and social skills that will help them enter the workforce. “Enabling students with disabilities to enter the workforce provides them with a sense of purpose and an opportunity to prove themselves,” said Nancy Adams, the unit supervisor at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, which is facilitating the partnership between the school and the store. “We look forward to many success stories.” Briana Horton, the head of Decatur High’s AIM program, said she looks forward to a new opportunity for her students to grow. “One of our goals at AIM DHS is to teach all students the skills they need to have a meaningful future,” she said. “The thrift store would provide a place to practice these skills in a safe, real-world environment while providing a service to our community.”

Everyday Sunshine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax-deductible.

For more information, visit www.EverydaySunshineThrift.com.

Thank you for your time and support,

Jeff Sharp

Director (...and Amelie's Dad)