Mary Byrne
Four years ago, just as most other places did, Gifts and Thrifts at Peppermint Place closed its doors to the public.
But while many businesses never came back after the COVID-19 pandemic, Gifts and Thrifts wasn’t among them. Last month, at long last, the store in Waverly Square reopened. A grand opening is planned for Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“It was a lot getting things started from after COVID,” recalled Allison Faraclas. “Things hadn’t been touched for four years. So there was a lot of teamwork and reimagining what the space would look like, which was a lot of work but also a lot of fun.”
Gifts and Thrifts offers an eclectic inventory of second-hand clothes, designer bags, handmade or locally crafted gifts, jewelry and other accessories, and holiday items. But there’s more to the little shop at 5 Lexington St.
Gifts and Thrifts, which is owned by Beaverbrook STEP, employs people with disabilities.
“Employment is such a meaningful part of life and people with disabilities deserve to be part of that,” said Faraclas. “They deserve access to … independence, friendship, feelings of purpose, a sense of belonging — all of those things come from employment. I think everybody gets at least a few of those things when they work here and when they work other places, too. This is really a stepping stone.”
Faraclas is an employment training manager at Beaverbrook.
“I do a lot of job readiness, getting people ready for the workplace, not just at the store but beyond the store, getting jobs out of those [Beaverbrook] programs and in the community,” she said.
For example, Faraclas provides customer service training, cashier training, and instruction on different elements of other jobs at the store, such as inventory, pricing, or laundering clothes.
Among the folks she’s helped train are Bee Louis, a sales associate at Gifts and Thrifts, and Alyson Paradiso, a cashier.
“I like interacting with customers and meeting new people,” said Paradiso.
Prior to working at Gifts and Thrifts, where she has been employed for the last five months, Paradiso, 59, worked for 27 years as a cashier at Star Market.
“I’ve had a couple of customers who came in and said, ‘Oh, I know you [from Star Market],’” she said. Faraclas noted Paradiso has a knack for remembering returning customers’ faces.
Since starting at the gift shop, she’s learned how to sort and steam clothes, complete inventories, and ensure all displays are orderly and well-displayed– a technique called “front facing.”
Louis, meanwhile, has discovered a knack for graphic design, in addition to their role as a stock associate.
“What I like about being a graphic designer is not just showing people my work, but making people feel welcome, and want to visit the store,” said Louis, 25.
Louis’ work includes fliers displayed around town, and signs in the store.
“The other thing I like about being a graphic designer is the collaboration,” they said. “Sometimes, I just need another person with me saying what they think about it before I finish the product.”
Both employees had to go through an interview process, explained Faraclas. They were interviewed and among the 16 selected from a pool of 32 candidates.
“I hope they get their feet wet and gain confidence,” she said. “I hope these experiences provide meaningful employment, whether it be here at the store, or somewhere else down the road. I hope we’re able to capitalize on their many capabilities … and [that they] learn new skills. It’s really important to me that this is a supportive and safe environment, where it’s ok to make mistakes and learn from them.”