Inclusion Clothing Co. is a win both for fashion sense and for furthering VPI Inc.’s mission.
The online storefront opened in March at VPI’s Kensington Drive facility in Appleton to offer an assortment of T-shirts, hoodies and crewneck sweatshirts on which messages such as “The future is inclusive” and “Choose to include always” are emblazoned.
All inclusive-focused apparel is available for purchase exclusively through the clothing company’s website. That’s thanks to work by Allie Lucht, VPI marketing and development manager, who initiated an application for grants through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region to establish the store and, in the process, broaden VPI’s options for its pre-employment clients. Inclusion Clothing Co. is partially supported by a grant from the Community Vision Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region as well as the SAC Developmental Disabilities Fund within the foundation.
Lucht’s and VPI’s vision was to offer a comprehensive training experience for clients that included opportunities to design, produce and manage an online apparel store, encompassing tasks such as inventory management, using a heat press, and fulfilling orders and shipping, all with an eye on developing skill sets to take to the apparel printing job market.
The store’s concept was an outgrowth of VPI’s Community Inclusion Initiative, which entails taking clients into the community to tour businesses and learn about career opportunities. During its inaugural year in 2023, 818 participants enjoyed 357 events and outings. One of those visits to a custom apparel business piqued the interest of several clients and made it clear VPI would need to provide specific training with a heat press and other technical skills to make that a reality career for clientele.
“The idea clicked to merge the skills training through the store while raising money for our programs,” Lucht says. “The goal is for store proceeds to go back into the store and our programs to make it a success.”
Proceeds from the store go back into employment, education, mental health, social enrichment and early intervention programs VPI-wide, allowing the organization to serve even more individuals with disabilities or disadvantages. Across the board, through its various programs and services, VPI served about 2,300 clients across all programs last year. Last year, the organization helped 216 clients secure employment in the community. The store works with VPI’s pre-employment program to help clients overcome barriers while acquiring skills for success in the workplace. Case managers and the pre-employment manager identify clients who are interested in the work and the industry long term, just as they do work on behalf of a host of other industries. The entire process of creating and launching the store has been very hands-on for clients working alongside Lucht.
At some point, it will transition to another VPI team member for oversight as the store grows.
Currently, the store is a passion point for Amy, a VPI client who expressed interest in that industry field after participating in a tour of an apparel design company. She loves fashion and sewing things at home, and she is an avid fan of the 2 Blondes clothing store in Oshkosh, which offers a variety of embellished items.
“I would like to work in something similar to that store; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was little,” Amy says. “They sell blank items and you can pick a decoration for customizing. They do the same thing I do on more stuff than just shirts — I have a purse from there with an American flag on it.”
Amy’s been the designated client doing work behind the scenes for Inclusion Clothing Co., applying logos on clothing.
“I’ve always been interested in fashion, and it’s something I really enjoy doing,” she says.
She’s learning a host of skill sets within the scope of the store, from inventory management to order accuracy before shipping to using the heat press on the clothing items. She continues to spend time on the production floor as well, working on point-of-purchase display items. But she really loves working for the store.
“You get to work more independently with this,” Amy says.
Lucht says the goal is for Amy to acquire as much experience as possible in all facets of store management and to grow to the point where she can take those skill sets to a role in the community.
“The store is another example of the core of our mission, which is inclusion and helping people with disabilities reach an optimum level of independence in their communities,” Lucht says. “We hope our items tell the story that inclusion is important to a thriving community and our clients are capable of running a store and participating in the community through other jobs as well.”
So far, the “Future is Inclusion” crewneck sweatshirt in ice blue is a top seller, but with warmer weather on its way the team expects T-shirt orders to rise. As the store continues to grow, plans are to involve clients in product design.
“We have some really talented artists in our clients, and it would be great to work with them to put their artwork on a T-shirt,” says Lucht. “We’re hoping to introduce new products every few months.”
The goal is for the T-shirts and sweatshirts being worn within the community and beyond to showcase just how capable VPI’s clients are, and to give them a chance to work within the communities in which they reside.
“Our hope is that this shows people that even if somebody has a disability, they’re capable, and they’re able to go out and do jobs that everyone else does,” Lucht says. “We know all of our clients are very capable of doing these things … sometimes they just need a helping hand.”
