Reprinted with permission from the Reminder Press, November 29, 2005

WINDSOR - Melissa Rickard manages "Cool Kids Clothes", a consignment store located on the lower level of the Grace Episcopal Church, on Broad Street. During an ordinary business day Rickard checks the products that consignors bring in, sets prices that sellers and clients will like, checks the inventory. And, of course, she welcomes the store's customers herself and helps them find what they need.

It may all sound pretty mundane, but in reality Rickard is a truly exceptional business person: she does all this without what everyone else takes for granted: her eyesight. Rickard is almost completely blind, which some might argue is a good reason to try for something less challenging. Not Rickard. In fact, she said "Cool Kids Clothes" was created exactly because she is blind.

"About on year and half ago I was out of work," she explained. "Being almost blind it's kind of hard to find work, and I had tried everything. Then, one day my mom and I were driving home from taking a hike, and we saw a sign for another consignment store and a light-bulb went off. My mom said, 'Jees, why don't we open a consignment store, and, since you like doing kids' clothing, why don't we have it just for that?' And that is basically how it all started to fit into place."

The store, which Rickard operates with the help of her mother Linda and volunteer friends, opened last October as an outreach program of the church, which provides the space and funds the utilities. It works mainly as a usual consignment shop, where people can leave articles of clothing to be sold, and later split the proceeds with the store. It can also accept donations, due to the non-profit status of the organization.

The first months were great, Rickard said. Then, the library, which abuts the church, parking lot closed to be renovated, and business slowed down.

"When the construction site was very sloppy, people thought we were closed," she pointed out. She hopes, she said, that when the library opens up again in spring things will return to normal.

The store has been set-up, so that a visually impaired person can work in it as easily as possible. To help her with paper currency, Rickard uses a bill-reader. And for sales and inventory she uses a computer with software that enlarges the letters on the screen.

"When people find what they want, they take it off the rack, and bring it to me," Rickard said. "We take off the tags, which tell us all the info that's been put into our computerized database."

"Cool Kids Clothes," specializes in brand-name and better-quality products, and sells 'gently used' clothing and shoe ware for children of ages newborn to 11.

"Most of what we have is almost new," Rickard said. "Kids have so much, they cannot even use it all. They wear it maybe three times, tops."

"Cool Kids Clothes" is open Tues. to Sat. 9 am to 1 pm.

For more information, E-mail us at: info@nfbct.org