The ‘Joy’ of Giving

Joy House offers gifts with purpose

by

Aijala

Next time you enter the cavernous Main Street Antiques Mall in Mooresville, make a beeline for the far wall, where you’ll discover the Joy House booth, a bright, brand new gift shop stocked with goodies, all made or designed by adults with special needs. There are T-shirts, mugs and bags with uplifting messages, as well as signature candles, hand-crafted treats and original artwork, including paintings by North Carolina artist Blake Henkel.

Cornelius residents Todd Hess, a general contractor, and his wife, Jill Hess, a full-time nurse, are the proud owners of the store – the second venue of its kind – which provides these vendors with the opportunity to become more self-sufficient and feel appreciated for who they are.

“Our purpose is to showcase the beautiful talents of all these beautiful people,” says Jill. “We love what they do.”

The magical story of how Joy House “East” came to be, starts almost three years ago, when Jill saw a snippet on the national news about the Truitt family in Colorado. She learned how, with the help of their community, Joe and Marla Truitt had built a separate home in their own back yard for their exuberant son, Seth, who has Down syndrome, to fulfill his dream of living independently. They called it Joy House, and soon opened a shop by the same name, selling items using Seth’s joyful designs, as well as the work of others, who’d found them through word of mouth.

Back in North Carolina, Jill was touched by the story. Months later, the magic started to happen. Coincidentally, Todd had bought tickets to a concert in Colorado for their anniversary. At dinner, someone they’d just met recommended a place for brunch the next day, and they made reservations. Arriving early (“That never happens,” Jill says), they strolled around the Estes Park neighborhood, and wandered into a store. That store turned out to be Joy House.

The place felt familiar, and when Jill read the vendors’ bios, she remembered the television news clip she’d seen. Both she and Todd were so impressed, they went back after brunch and bought an item from each vendor. Marla Truitt was so impressed by their enthusiasm that she wrote to thank them, and friendships were forged. “It felt like all the stars aligned,” says Jill.

Their goal eventually is to open more locations, as well as a distribution center, providing jobs and another way for adults with special needs to become more financially independent.

“It really helps the families, too,” says Todd.

For now, their focus is to attract additional local vendors, and you might find Jill at the booth on a Saturday.

“There’s so much negativity in the world, and this feels so good,” she says.