ALCO Services opens craft recycling store at New Towne Mall

The Adapting Learning Services Continuing Opportunities program, which services people with developmental disabilities, has opened a location in New Towne Mall. They have developed a new initiative to collect unwanted art and craft supplies, which they will recycle.

“We're keeping them out of the landfill and then reselling them to the community,” Tonya Thomas, assistant administrator at ALCO, said. “Instead of putting them in their trash, people bring them in as donations.”

ALCO individuals will weigh the donations to track how many pounds are being recycled. Some of the donations will be used by the individuals to create art to sell, and others will be available to the public for purchase.

The store has received 120 pounds of donated supplies so far and is setting up the store in different sections to showcase the supplies that are being resold at a lower cost.

The public is welcome to come in and shop. They currently have fabric, scrapbook supplies, ribbon, canvas, foam craft supplies, stickers, notebook paper, pencils and more that have been donated for resale.

The program accepts any kind of art and craft supplies.

“We can reuse it, even paper, card stock and scrapbooking stuff,” Thomas said. “Based on what I looked at on the EPA website, the paper and paper board products are 12% of the landfill, and we're trying to keep that out.”

Thomas anticipates the ALCO program will become the place to look for hard-to-find art and craft items crafters might need that are no longer carried in stores.

Currently, the store is open during the day Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Plans include more days in the future.

“We're hoping to be open more. We have some new people starting next week,” Thomas said. “So, when that starts flourishing, we'll be open five days a week.”

ALCO owner, Alice Cooper, an area resident, learned about arts and crafts recycling on her travels to North Carolina. Ohio has this specialized recycling in Cleveland and Cincinnati and now at ALCO in New Philadelphia.

In the future, the individuals will also make and sell freeze-dried candy.

"We're working on employment readiness skills. We're teaching people how to stock shelves, to learn the skills of checking expiration dates and other basic retail tasks,” Thomas said.

At the New Towne Mall location, activities offered include cooking classes, life and employment skills, social activities, line dancing, drumming classes, karaoke, exercise activities, current event discussions and morning check-ins to talk about life and build social connections.

Carrie Herbert serves as the day hab manager at the New Towne Mall site.

“Carrie is a very talented artist, someone who can make anything, and she works well with everyone,” Thomas said.

ALCO takes individuals on fun community outings emphasizing free or low-cost activities to make them accessible for people with limited financial resources.

The store will partner with the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities for a Summer Buddy Day tie-dye event for people who receive services from the board. The event will be held at the ALCO New Towne Mall location Aug. 6.

In addition to their New Towne Mall site, which is beside the Kohl’s store, ALCO offers a variety of services. They operate five group homes and offer respite care.

“We offer bedrooms for overnight or weekend stays to provide relief for caregivers and enable them to take breaks or vacations knowing their family member is safe,” Thomas said.

Some homes are staffed 24 hours a day while others offer support coordinated around day programs or community employment.

For more information on activities and the art and craft recycling program, follow them on Facebook at ALCO Service LLC.