Danvers store showcases talent of neurodiverse artists, provides work experience
DANVERS - Inside the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, there's a special shop called Parcels. It's run by the non-profit Northeast ARC , which was founded in 1954 by parents of children who have neurodiverse abilities.
"Every item in the store is made by somebody with a disability or autism," said Tim Brown, the Chief Innovative and Strategy Officer at Northeast ARC.
They also have a program for employment as well. Alana Provanzano works here.
"I am a cashier, I do inventory, stock and the shelves," she told WBZ-TV.
From candles to paintings, to soap and pottery, all of these products fly off the shelves.
"Being able to show the common customers that people with autism and disabilities, they are true craftsmen and they are true artists," Brown said.
Parcels and Northeast Arc are making a difference all over the community.
"Then seeing our interns here at the mall, being able to go out and get jobs within the community and feeling confident about that, and being ready and able and prepared," Brown told WBZ.
Northeast ARC supports up 10,000 people with disabilities or autism throughout 190 communities in Massachusetts.
For more information on Parcels, click here.