Resale store opens in Waterford to help train disabled adults

An article by Tim Dmoch    No Comments

Freedom Work Opportunities (FWO) staff, consumers, and supporters gathered on Friday, Dec. 2 to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of FWO’s new Freedom Treasures Resale Store at 7570 Cooley Lake Road in Waterford Township.

Now one of three FWO stores — one is located on Milford Road in Highland Township and another is in Grand Blanc — the new Freedom Treasures Resale Store offers new and used merchandise at affordable prices, according to FWO Marketing Director Marie Tino.

“It offers a media room full of books and DVDs and VHS tapes; a full line of clothing for men, women and children; a large furniture area; a homegoods area; a children’s room; and a seasonal holiday area,” she said. “There’s a large area of framed art, and we have vases, cups, plates, utensils, linens, pillows, lamps, and anything you can find in your home. It has a little bit of everything.

“The furniture items are huge sellers,” she added. “As soon as it’s on the floor it’s gone.”

According to Tino, all of the merchandise for sale in the store has been donated.

“A candle place went out of business and gave us all of their merchandise, so we have a lot of new candle items,” she said. “We get a lot of new clothing that people donate.”

FWO is a non-profit 501(c)3 vocational training program serving the needs of adults with disabilities in Oakland, Livingston, and Genesee counties. Founded in 1983, the organization provides realistic training to individuals in a manner that promotes personal growth, dignity, and respect, while under the guidance of trained staff.

FWO supports the Person Center/Directed Planning approach to all aspects of operational functions. All individuals are the center of the decision-making process. They are given the right to choose what jobs they work on, where they work, the types of programs that are implemented, and the right to change their job or program. By allowing individuals the right to voice their opinions and the right to choose, it’s FWO’s intent to promote their ability to control their own destiny. By encouraging their ability to control their lives, FWO believes that individuals will continue to want to increase their skills and choose a path in life that will fit their own personal needs.

According to Tino, there currently are 20 disabled adults working at the new store in Waterford.

“They help bring in the donations and unload the vehicles, sort the merchandise, test the electronics, clean the products, and do the pricing,” she said of FWO’s consumers who work or receive training at the store. “There’s a crew on the main floor to put the items out and make sure they’re clean and displayed nicely. We try to make it their store as much as possible.”

FWO works with about 200 disabled adults daily, either at the three resale stores or at three workshops. These consumers are first trained and then provided jobs in lawn care, Meals on Wheels delivery, stuffing envelopes for businesses, and partially assembling automotive parts, among other things, according to Tino.

“They are all paid, but they are trained so they can got out and get work elsewhere if they want,” she said. “Some have been working here since 1983. The goal is to improve them, so that once they learn the skills they need, we then place them in the community.”

Tino said the resale stores generate enough revenue to keep the stores open and pay the FWO consumers who work there.

The Freedom Treasures Resale Store in Waterford will be working in conjunction with other area institutions and relief agencies, such as the Open Door Outreach Center in Waterford.

“Once our items are in the store for so long, we send them to another non-profit like Open Door,” Tino said. “Or, if we have an overabundance of clothes, we send it there. Also, Open Door doesn’t take furniture, so they send it our way when people try to donate furniture to their resale store. We’re also holding a canned food drive for Open Door (through Friday, Dec. 16). We want to network like this with the for-profit resale stores and the area’s non-profits.”

The new store offers a 10 percent discount on purchases for senior citizens, military personnel and veterans.

Those seeking to donate items to the store can make arrangement for free pickup of tax-deductible donations.

“Our schedule is very flexible,” Tino said. “We can pick things up when people need it picked up, or it can be dropped off at our store at anytime.”

The new store’s holiday hours will be Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FWO is always looking for volunteers — including students — to work with the organization’s consumers or help manage social media to spread the word about FWO’s programs and needs. Those interested in volunteering can obtain a volunteer application at FWO’s website (freedomwork.org) under the resources tab, or by calling 248-887-1597.