BRIDGES Opens Unique Boutique At The Palisades Center

WEST NYACK, NY — Here's a store opening you mustn't miss. BRIDGES will be hosting a grand opening of its new Independence Café - A Unique Boutique, at noon July 1.

The retail store features unique gift items created by and for people with disabilities. It is located in the BRIDGES Welcome Center on the second floor of the Palisades Center in West Nyack.

Executive Director Carlos Martinez told Patch they've been thinking about a retail space since last summer, when they moved their offices and created the Welcome Center at the mall to spread the word about BRIDGES services and provide access to information and resources.

"As an Independent Living Center with the mission to provide advocacy and leadership towards an accessible, integrated community, promoting health and autonomy for people with disabilities, we always try to be innovative in moving our mission forward," he said. "We already operate an Independence Café at the county courthouse with the mission of providing meaningful employment opportunities to veterans and people with disabilities, so the retail store is an opportunity to expand our brand and provide entrepreneurship opportunities for people with disabilities to display and sell their products in a prime retail space."

The Independence Café, A Unique Boutique’s inventory includes: candles, framed photographs, original artwork, notecards, jewelry, soaps, apparel, specialty food items and much more, Martinez said. "The inventory is always expanding as we learn about new vendors and they learn about us."

BRIDGES, a 501c(3) nonprofit, was established over 30 years ago as Rockland Independent Living Center. The BRIDGES vision is to establish a barrier-free society, improving access and enhancing quality of life for people with disabilities.

As an independent living center, BRIDGES follows a philosophy that supports people with disabilities to access opportunities, and realize and achieve self-determination and self-worth.

The agency serves people with disabilities, seniors, veterans and those re-entering the community. It also operates the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program which allows people with disabilities to direct their own care and hire their own personal assistants so they may remain independent at home.

"Before we opened our first Independence Café at the Rockland County Courthouse, we spent a lot of time talking about a name that would convey our mission to promote autonomy for people with disabilities," Martinez said. "As an Independent Living Center, we couldn’t think of a more fitting name to represent our businesses. The Cafés are multi-faceted; they provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities and Veterans that includes training on how to run a business, while educating the public about BRIDGES programs and services."