JESPY gift shop provides training for developmentally disabled

by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer
12.22.05

The Orange Tree has been doing a brisk business since it opened on Nov. 30 in South Orange. A wreath of fall-colored leaves and hand-crafted gift items in the window offer an appealing invitation to shoppers to step inside to browse. On one recent morning, a steady flow of people entered the shop on South Orange Avenue, looking at the display of art and home decor items, from earthenware serving pieces to hand-knitted scarves and hats to whimsical metallic sculptures of cats and dogs.

But what goes on in the room behind the display area is the key to the Orange Tree. That’s where job coach Allison Gebauer trains developmentally disabled adults to carry out jobs in retail enterprise.

The Orange Tree is a project of JESPY House, a beneficiary agency of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ, which provides services for developmentally disabled individuals, from employment and vocational training to housing. Financial support for the gift shop, including sufficient funds to cover all expenses for at least the first year of operation, came from a private donor, a parent of a JESPY client.

The gift is helping JESPY realize a long-held dream, according to the agency’s executive director, Lynn Kucher. “Ever since JESPY started, we thought we wanted to have our own business. It took a long time,” she told NJ Jewish News in an interview held inside the shop.

All the JESPY clients who work in the store earn minimum wage. But the JESPY clients’ employment in the Orange Tree does more than keep the store running. “As well as retail, this is also a training site for our clients,” said Kucher. “Sometimes it can be difficult to find people jobs; sometimes they need training.” The goal is to prepare them for outside jobs in retail.

Their stint in the Orange Tree has another benefit for the community. “JESPY House has been part of South Orange for so long. This store allows them to be part of the community even more,” said Kucher.

Nance Boylan, who grew up in West Orange and lived for 10 years in South Orange, designed the store and serves as its manager. She has managed other gift shops in the area, including the Teapot in Summit. For her, the venture is a professional as well as a charitable undertaking. “I’m not only giving back to the community, but I’m involved with disabled people, and that’s wonderful,” Boylan said. She had applied for a totally unrelated job at JESPY, and when Kucher saw her resume, she said, “I knew this was meant to be.”

Boylan will allow the store to evolve as she sees what people are interested in purchasing. She said she has already noticed that people are interested in home decor items, and she plans to bring in more merchandise to meet those needs.

The Orange Tree isn’t JESPY’s first commercial undertaking. Ten to15 years ago, clients began working with several companies that make medical filters. After just a few years, however, the parent company whose branch they were working with relocated to England. While the work continues, it does not benefit the number of clients it once did, according to Kucher.

Kucher and Boylan hope to turn a profit within three years at the Orange Tree. In the meantime, JESPY will apply for grants to cover whatever period of time is not covered by the initial donation.

The clients working in the store said they are enjoying the experience. Jessica Michaels and Debbie Slyder were folding boxes and putting them together. They and their peers will be involved in a number of tasks in the shop, including cleaning, filing, helping to assemble items on display, handling mailings, and entering data into a computer.

“It’s exciting to work here,” said Michaels. “I’m having a good time; I didn’t enjoy myself [at my last job] as much as I am now.”

In the front of the store, customer Adena Traub of South Orange was purchasing several teal blue earthenware serving platters and jugs. “I love [The Orange Tree],” she said. “It’s a fantastic addition to the town, and it’s a great way to support local merchants.”

She hadn’t realized the shop was a project of JESPY until she read one of the brochures on the counter. “That makes it that much better,” said Traub. “These are feel-good purchases. I’m doing what I need to do and I’m also supporting a great organization.”