A thrift store with a mission

After more than 40 years at its 336 N. Military Ave., the AbleLight Thrift Shop closed its doors in July to prepare to move into its new location at 2269 True Ln., which is set to open this Friday, Sept. 5.

“We’ve been in Green Bay for 47 years and it was just time to move,” said Laura Choronzy, market director of AbleLight Thrift Shops. “We wanted to be closer to where everything happens in Green Bay and we needed different things from our building, so we moved this way.”

The new location will offer several new features to help improve customers’ experiences.

“We’ll be able to serve our customers better,” Choronzy said. “We feel that our back-drop donation is going to be a lot smoother process. Having a nice bright building is going to make the shopping experience better. And then we get to roll out our new Brightpoints program… It’s just a whole different feel.”

With the move, shoppers can experience several improvements, including extended hours with Sunday availability and a more convenient donation drop-off area.

Members of the community are invited to come check out the new space at Friday’s grand opening event.

“We’re going to have four food trucks here, we have some giveaways for the first 100 people — they get a gift basket, and community members have been a part of filling those baskets for us,” Choronzy said. “We also have Nicole, an employee from our Neenah location who makes bracelets, she’s going to be here selling her bracelets as well. You’re just going to see a full store with fresh products and a lot of energy.”

Whether you’re attending the grand opening or shopping at the Thrift Shop in the weeks to come, Choronzy noted that profits from the Thrift Shop all go towards furthering AbleLight’s work in the community.

“All of our proceeds go back to AbleLight, Inc.,” Choronzy said. “Once we’re done with our overhead, we’re going back to serve those who are underserved. It’s going back to our mission.”

And that mission centers around providing services that empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to flourish in life and in their communities.

“AbleLight has been around for over 120 years and our main mission is to take care of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities,” Choronzy said. “The Thrift Shops were started in 1960 from donations that came through the community. Now, we have 12 locations and over 40% of our staff are individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And then all of the funds that we raise go back to help offset the cost of the homes and the advocacy that we do.”

By working in the Thrift Shop, Choronzy said that its employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities benefit from “additional job skills, fellowship with additional employees and volunteers and an opportunity to show their community that they also have a role and can be successful”
“We would really just like to get the word out about the fact that individuals may have an intellectual or developmental disability, but they have a role within AbleLight,” Choronzy said. “We’re excited to be a part of the community — we’ve already been a part of this community for 47 years — and partner with more individuals within our community on our mission.”

The new Green Bay Location will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 12-4 p.m.

Donations will be accepted Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.