Texana Center took over the “Rags to Riches Resale Store in Wharton in 2014 from The Arc of Wharton County who transferred the ownership of the resale store to Texana for a nominal fee; after concluding that their mission to provide employment opportunities to people with intellectual disabilities would be met by the Learning Center clients working there.

Rags to Riches is dedicated to creating employment opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. After paying the clients who work in the store and the proceeds generated through the sales of gently used clothing and household items, the goal would be to generate a revenue stream to help support the Learning Center program in Wharton County.

A lot of us grumble Monday morning as we trudge into work, but imagine a life where finding and keeping even the lowest paying job seemed a dream beyond your grasp; makes our Monday blues pretty irrelevant. Unfortunately, this is a reality for many people with an intellectual disability. Rags to Riches gives an opportunity for clients to learn many different retail skills including; learning to stay on task; sorting, tagging, placing items; taking payment and customer service, to name a few. Learning these skills may provide the basic knowledge that clients need to secure employment in the community outside of Texana, for some it may be their permanent employment. The resale store gives our clients a feeling of pride and self-worth because they have a job that teaches them skills and provides social interaction. The biggest impact the store has on our clients is independence they feel when they receive their paycheck.

Resale shopping is not only easy on the wallet; it’s environmentally friendly, tool. ‘Rags to Riches’ encourages local residents to reuse and recycle as much as possible, and as a result they keep truck loads of product out of our landfills.

Rags to Riches is always looking for donations of gently worn children’s, men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, plus small household, sporting goods, shoes and baby items. Volunteers are also welcome, go to www.texanancenter.com for a Volunteer application. Lastly, we are always looking for ‘Fashionistas’ or anyone looking for a good value on choice clothing! Rags to Riches Resale Store can be found at 1017 1/2 N Alabama Road, Wharton.