By Cora Dickey
Published: Nov. 22, 2022 at 6:32 PM EST WHSV
WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) - Magnolia Rose’s new store is ready for opening day. The nonprofit is still true to its name because the money made in sales will pay toward the bigger vision.
“The point of our retail store is to fund our emergency apartment. We are often called out by law enforcement statewide that they have found a trafficking victim and that they need somewhere to go. We are that emergency placement,” Magnolia Rose Co-Founder Kristan Crummett-Dollar said.
The grand opening is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Black Friday, and what’s on the shelves is a labor of love.
“Some of our items are made by survivors and we also have pop-ups so some of of the booths are actual local artists and sellers selling their products. We’ll have some products this week and, come December 1, we’ll have some new products in time for Christmas,” Magnolia Rose Store Clerk Jessica Garcia said.
The Magnolia Rose store is meant to help survivors of human trafficking, letting them know that they are not alone.
“It’s a family environment here. Our survivors that are employed that we assist, and the volunteers who run the store are friendly and open and will answer any questions you may have,” Crummett-Dollar said.
The storefront provides opportunities for survivors to have gainful employment, encourage new skills ,and build a career path that brings them joy. The hope is that the store will give survivors the chance to ease back into working as their spend more time focusing on their healing.