It's about I don't know, so forty years now, since I was fifteen years old, I have been a thrift store shopper.
I love a good thrift store.
I love it. I not only shop there, I donate there. And now when I donate, I donate to an arc thrift store. And joining me now the CEO of ARC Thrift Stores, Lloyd Lewis to talk about a fundraiser coming up. Lloyd, welcome to the show.
First of all, Mandie, thanks for having me on.
I'm great to see you.
Well, tell people a little bit about arc thrift stores, where they came from, how they got started, and what they actually do other than buy and sell goods.
Yeah, we got started over fifty years ago, and our mission is to raise funds to support now fifteen ARC Afficacy chapters across Colorado from four Collins to Pueblo and on the western slopan Grand Junction, and in turn, those chapters that we support help people with intellectual disabilities find jobs, housing,
medical service services, and schools. And people with intellectual disabilities may have down syndrome, they may have autism, they may have cerebral palsy, they may have other non specific cognitive challenges, but the work that the chapters do that we support with our fundraising through our stores is extremely critical of thousands and thousands of individuals and families all across Colorado.
Lloyd, I was telling you off the air that when I was very young, so forty years ago, again, my mother actually worked for an ARC organization and they at her group, they taught adults with developmental disabilities to do lawn care and to refinish furniture, and that was what they did, but it allowed them to live somewhat independently.
Because people don't necessarily think about it. Maybe you have a challenge that prevents you from being able to live by yourself, but that doesn't mean that you have to live with your parents until they pass away. There are ways to help people who may need a little resistance be able to live a more independent life, and work is a huge part of that. And do you guys, I know that you have at the store that I frequent, you have individuals that are working for art thrift stores.
So is that a program that allows them to make a little income? How does that program work?
Yeah?
I want to talk about that program, but I want to start with you're on screen there's no way.
Forty years ago, we work fifteen. So you're making that up. Yeah, thank you.
Now.
Yeah.
Secondly, I'm so appreciati that your mother helped.
Us and was committed to what we do.
And the point you make on people with intellectual disabilities being able to be employed and being able to contribute and earn money is extremely important.
When I started twenty years ago, we had ten employees with intellectual disabilities.
Today we have five hundred WHOA and they are working.
All aspects of our company.
They may accept donations, they may unload donations, they may sort donations.
Price them, tag them, run them out to the sales floor.
They work in my corporate office, they.
Work in our warehouse, and they are amazing employees and I attribute our success to their employment.
They are very positive, they love.
To contribute it, they love to work in teams, and they inspire their fellow employees. And we have had nineteen of twenty years of record success except for the COVID year, which.
Was a challenge.
We also have supplemental programs for these wonderful employees. We created something we call arc University, which is a series of twelve post secondary style classes and money and computers and transportation.
And we do it over lunch, and if they participated it all, they get a certificate.
If they participate in six of twelve, they get a bachelor's degree, nine of twelve, Master's dequery twelve or twelve at PhD.
Oh that's fas last graduation.
We have thirty masters graduates, thirty PhDs. I tell them, and it upsets me that they all have many more integrations than I do. But you know, you think you're at Harvard commencement. They're just all proud and just so happy. We have a social program.
We may go to the.
Museums or the zoos or the movies.
They love karaoke. They make me sing Ring of Fire at karaoke.
And we we have a.
Community service program with the Civitans, where they may make cookies for the police, or prepare care packages for military service personnel serving overseas, or they may write letters to seniors living assisted living. They're just amazing employees. And then I myself got started in this because I have a wonderful son who's now twenty one, who has Down syndrome, and he's the inspiration.
For the work I do and the work that our company does Lloyd.
Back in the day when my mom was involved in the ARC in our community, a lot of people still were sort of laboring under this misconception that if someone was born with Down syndrome or someone has a developmental disability, that they were pretty much incapable of doing anything. Now fast forward to now, and we see ad campaigns that have young women who have Down syndrome, and we have athletes that are competing in special Olympics, we have employees
at our thrift stores. So we've kind of blown that stereotype out of the water. And I think that is the best possible thing that could have ever happened. And you have to be how do you feel about that?
That was a stereotype. It was incorrect.
People did not used to live with their families, they did not used to go to public schools, they did not used to be involved in the community or have employment.
But once we started advocating for that, the ARC of.
The United States in particular, you know, as people started to live with their families, participate in the communities, and be employed and being.
Schools public schools, you know, all.
Of that changed and they have amazing capacities and capabilities just through inclusion. As an example, people with Down syndrome have gained on average twenty IQ points, going from severely to minor a miloradly to mildly impaired. And it's just a stereotype. You know. People are very accepting these days. They love to, you know, be involved with people with disabilities.
And you see that.
You see that in the media, you see that in the community.
And you know you see that in schools, and you know, my son is much.
More popular than me, and our employees with much more popular than me. I'm now Kennedy's dad. I'm not Lloyd. I'm Kennedy's dad. So he's bypassed me in terms of his.
Impression on the Well, tell me what's happening this Thursday and what you guys are doing to raise some extra funds for ARC Thrift.
This Thursday. We're very excited.
Debbie Brown, the president of the Colorado Business Roundtable, and I are co hosting a special.
Event at the Landmark.
In the Tech Center and we are hosting a reception for the CEO of the ARC of the United States and the CEO of Inclusion International. The ARC the United States was the first organization founded by parents to advocate in the nineteen forties for humane treatment in large institutions. People like my son had a life expectancy of teens back in.
The day because they were being abused and mistreated.
So the ARC the United States advocated for humane treatment, followed by advocacy for deinstitutionalization, mainstreaming, inclusion, public education, you know, living in the community with their families, and they've made a tremendous difference for people like my son. And we have the CEO of the ARC United States visiting us
to talk about her work. I'm on the foundation board for the ARC the United States and the treasure of that board, and I also serve as treasure on another board, an international board, Inclusion International, with members in over one hundred countries. And you know, treatment of people with intellectual disabilities varies across not just Star country, but also across
the world to a large degree. And you know, they're doing work to advocate or education and employment and you know, independent living.
Across the world.
And I got introduced to it because I saw a video of the ARC United States Convention where kids with intellectual disabilities who are being sent away to shelters away from their families in Ukraine to avoid the bombings that we're occurring.
And it was just very sad to see this.
And how they were being segregated and sheltered.
Away from families.
And so, you know, I have become involved in work across the country and across the world to hopefully make a difference for people at my son So.
Can people participate in this event on Thursday? Come out and meet the CEOs. I put the information on the blog, But is it too late to OURSVP?
It is not too late, although I think RSVP has been discontinued. But just show up. Just break the rules. So just show up at the Landmark. It's at the Landmark East. Everyone's welcome and you can hear these two wonderful CEOs talk about their work, and then there'll be an opportunity to donate to support their missions. And also if you go on to the arc Through store website and go to our donation tab, you can also donate on that tab.
To these two wonderful organizations. And you know, we're just excited to have them in town.
I have multiple people on my Common Spirit Health text line, people texting in asking before COVID, did you guys do pickups at people's houses. And if you I have multiple people saying they used to do that, but they don't do that anymore. Is that something that we'll ever be coming back.
Probably not.
What we found is that people are in this world of where they do drop off donations drive throughs, and you know, landlines aren't as popular as they used to be, and they can pull a fast one and ask you to contact me and I'll arrange a pickup. But you know, that's not something that we've continued after COVID because I think the environment's changed. You know.
Yeah, people.
Really do as much with landlines as they used to.
We did do furniture pickups.
You can call call us at our warehouse and we'll arrange a furniture pickup.
Oh, so that's what they're asking about it. I might have done that in the.
We have thirty six stores, all right, sorry, man, We have thirty six stores and fifteen free standing donation stations. So chances are for anybody there's there's a drop off donation site within a mile or two where they live.
I like to drive around with my donations in the back of my car and let them get good and seasoned for maybe a couple months, and then finally remember to drop them off at the store. I know I'm not the only one who does that, so yeah, I like to I like to really let them.
You know, get get primed.
Before I drop them off. I'm just kidding, Lloyd Lewis. I appreciate what you're doing. I shop in the ARC store in Parker and it is off the chain. It's so good. It's so so good. I was thinking about it as I was talking to you. I think I about this sweater at a thrift store. I'm almost positive I did, and people do not believe me, but I have been thrift shopping for so long and it's like
a little treasure hunt every time you go. Lloyd, I appreciate everything you're doing for the community, and thanks for making time with me today.
Thanks for all your support. Man appreciate you all right.
That is Lloyd Lewis. He is the CEO of ARC Thrift Stores.