The Vocational Centre’s Emily and Adam enjoying the sun and finishing up a last minute project (Image: submitted)
The Vocational Training Centre will hold its first annual Yard Sale and Craft Fair this Saturday.
“Our yard sale and craft fair are a way for our staff and some of our participants to meet members of the community and also the let them see for themselves the potential that all of our clients currently possess,” says Amy Gifford, Human Services Lead at the Vocational Training Center.
The centre has provided support services since the 1970s to clients with physical and intellectual disabilities ages 18-65 in Saint John, Rothesay, Quispamsis, Hampton and Grand Bay-Westfield. The centre also helps clients dealing with mental health concerns. It currently services 34 clients through its various programs.
“Our job here is to help them gain confidence, new skills and knowledge that they need to lead successful lives,” said Gifford.
The Vocational Training Centre’s programming includes cooking, cleaning, copper-stripping, woodworking. It also offers monthly classes such as computer courses and soft skills courses, its newest being its Boundaries and Healthy Relationship Building courses.
Its oldest program is its rag business, where clients learn to measure, cut and sort fabrics that are sold to local garages and all funds go back into its programming.
Staff members Sarah and Jocelyn with homemade signs and bath bombs for sale on Saturday (Image: Submitted)
The yard sale and craft fair will be held at 248 Bradley Lake Road from 10AM to 2PM. All items from the online thrift store will be there at reduced prices along with other items, including woodworking projects and homemade candles and bath bombs.
“It’s been kind of hard with COVID for [clients] to be able to socialize with others in the community, but we do have a huge yard and lots of space so it will definitely be able to be COVID friendly, and they’ll get to show off some of the great things that they’ve been making,” she said.
Gifford added the Knights of Columbus will be doing the barbecuing at the event and that they also partner with and receive donations from the Kennebecasis Lions Club, The Hospice Shoppe and John Walker Insurance.
Gifford said the main thing she wants people to get out of the event is to meet the centre’s clients and see how dedicated they are while also supporting a local nonprofit business that makes a difference in other people’s lives.
“It’s nice to watch them grow and these are individuals that can be working in the community,” she said. “I think if people came out to meet them and see them, maybe they can think of other opportunities where they can have these individuals help them out as well.”
Anyone interested in the fair can check out the Second Chance Online Thrift Store to preview a sample of the clothes that will be for sale at reduced prices.
