Cheers to our third real estate deal with Christina Coffey!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lee & Associates is happy to have assisted Designed For Joy in securing their flagship design studio in Downtown Raleigh. Represented by Christina Coffey, they will occupy 5,000 sf at 517-A W. Cabarrus Street. Designed For Joy is a local non-profit that is a transitional work experience for women emerging from trafficking, homelessness, time in prison, overcoming addiction or other vulnerable situations. They provide living wage work hours while building confidence and refreshing resumes. To date, Designed For Joy has hired 50 women and provided over $100,000 in living wages.
Designed For Joy started in 2017 and opened their first bricks and mortar location on Cabarrus Street in 2015. They quickly outgrew the 700 sf location and opened as one of the first Tenants at Gateway Shopping Center Redevelopment in 2017. They will now move back downtown to 517-A West Cabarrus Street to be part of the growth of Boylan Heights and the Warehouse District. New neighbors that opened recently in the vicinity include Fairweather Condos, Sam Jones BBQ and Heights House Boutique Hotel. Kane will commence construction this Fall on their redevelopment of the W. Cabarrus warehouses, which are currently occupied by Clancy & Theys Construction.
This new 5,000 sf design studio will allow Designed For Joy to continue to increase their impact in our community. During COVID, they were able to grow their partnerships, production, and hiring resulting in adding 16 women to their workforce. They also added a day work program assisting homeless women giving them a place to work, a meal, and market wages for their work. Relocating back to Downtown Raleigh will also locate them closer to other non-profit partners as well as decrease commute times and travel costs for their employees.
Designed For Joy currently sells their handcrafted jewelry, pocketbooks and accessories at 2409 Crabtree Boulevard, ten local boutiques, and online at www.designedforjoy.com. If you would like more information about corporate sponsorships, volunteering or to make a donation, please contact Co-Founders Cary Heise and Kristen Sydow at cary@designedforjoy.com or kristen@designedforjoy.com. Designed For Joy will hold a virtual tour of their new space Tuesday, June 15 at 7:30 pm on Facebook Live.
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About Designed For Joy
Designed For Joy is a transitional work experience for women coming from trafficking, homelessness, time in prison, overcoming addiction or other vulnerable situations. We provide living wage work hours while building confidence and refreshing resumes.
The women who create our brand with us are those living at high risk for sex and labor trafficking and/or food and housing insecurities. We partner with long-running ministries or local NGOs serving women that may be coming out of trafficking, emergency situations, generational poverty, homelessness, rehab, or prison. We believe in a community approach. In this holistic care approach, we provide the vocational resource component while our professional partners do what they do best.