Shops & Business

When a school or sports program needs funding, students and their parents are often recruited to traipse through neighborhoods selling a product door-to-door, a burden to both time-strapped families and solicitation-weary neighbors.

Arts educator Julia Zimmerman dreams of one day opening a storefront art studio where people with disabilities can drop in and create art. A portion of the space would be used to exhibit and sell the items created by students.

December is all about giving, which makes it a great time to consider a gift to a local charity. We’ve picked five local 501(c)3 charities that are doing great things in Plymouth.

The next time you’re enjoying a city park, attending a high school hockey game or networking at a community event, be sure to thank a volunteer.

dpHUE

Yesterday, I learned to color my own hair.

Founder Bob Fisher

Eighteen years ago, on a brisk November day, Wayzata shoe repairman Bob Fisher was strolling through a sporting goods store. “I was trying to learn how to do something in the wintertime,” he remembers. “As soon as it got cold outside, I didn’t ice skate or play hockey or ski. I did nothing.

The Hedonist gift basket.

Perhaps she fluffed the pillows, left fresh towels in the bathroom and made you coffee every morning for a week. Maybe she invited you to an intimate dinner, complete with a five-course menu she spent three days preparing.

Ives House program manager Brenda Witt (in black) works with residents Anne, Lauren and Kelly.

From the outside, Ives House looks like any other suburban home with it’s yellow paint, blacktop driveway, green lawn and cedar fence. But inside, it’s a place of empowerment for four women with developmental disabilities. *Anne, Kelly, Lauren and Stacy have lived here together since 2008.

Bokos sandals

While living in Beijing, James McManus came across a comfortable pair of rubber sandals.

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