Community Action to move Hanger and Witz End resale store out of downtown shopping district
Forming new Economic Development Coalition for small business development

 

[September 18, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

The Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois (CAPCIL), with funding made available through the Community Services Block Grant, has formed an Economic Development Coalition to ensure that small businesses receive advocacy, promotion, and support in order to thrive in their six county service area. The Community Action Partnership Economic Development Coalition (CAPED Coalition) is an organization that focuses on the promotion and growth of small businesses in rural communities.

The Coalition seeks to lead the small business networks in the CAPCIL service area toward a shared vision of an economic development strategy. This includes developing a common approach for measuring and evaluating small business metrics; building basic performance management practices in the membership businesses; and establishing a common set of priorities for action and opportunities in economic development at municipal and county levels. It is the vision of the Coalition to have small businesses in the CAPCIL service area thrive, and out of their success create jobs and new opportunities for the residents of our service area.

As CAPCIL’s focus is increasing self-sufficiency and work opportunities for the low-income populations, the launch of the CAPED Coalition will create some changes within CAPCIL’s organizational structure.

CAPCIL’s thrift store, The Hanger on the Square, has logged over 50,000 hours of volunteer hours, $1000’s of dollars of donations, and countless formed relationships since opening in March of 2018.

The online boutique, Witz End, was launched in June of 2018 and sales sky rocketed greater than expected. The heart of the store has always been geared towards workforce development and with that in mind the executive leadership at CAPCIL has determined that The Hanger on the Square will better serve it’s customers being re-located to the corporate office at 1800 5th street in Lincoln.

The store located at 616 Broadway will begin an inventory reduction sale beginning October 1st, 2018 in preparation of the move. Donors and shoppers alike will start being redirected to the Corporate Office in October. Having the store at the Corporate Office will help centralize operations, increase the opportunity for workforce development, and reduce unneeded costs associated with having additional property space.

The store at the Broadway location will be open Tuesday-Friday from 10-6, and Saturday 9-3.

As of November 1st, the store will operate at the Corporate Office Monday-Friday 8-4:30. The Dignity Aisle Food Pantry Cooperative will be moved back to the Corporate Office by October 24th, 2018. The online boutique will not have any change in operations.

For additional information please visit www.capcil.info or call the Corporate Office at 217-732-2159. You can also visit CAPCIL at 1800 5th Street in Lincoln.

[Katie (Alexander) Dalpoas
Director of Agency Development
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois]