Friday, Feb. 27 was a cold day in Carrboro, but at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the town’s newly reopened thrift store, there was plenty of warmth to be found. Local officials, Extraordinary Ventures employees, and eager shoppers alike braved the rain to celebrate the occasion.
“Extraordinary things will happen here,” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said to get the event started. “We will have extraordinary people employed here, extraordinary customers that will come in and buy merchandise.”
The store was previously operated by the nonprofit CommunityWorx. It’s now a part of a collection of businesses run by Extraordinary Ventures, a nonprofit dedicated to providing employment opportunities for IDD individuals, or people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Foushee described her own personal experience with IDD individuals and the important role employment can play in their lives…