New Danville Store returns to Market Street, offers unique handmade items and gifts

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Searching for that one-of-a-kind gift that also supports a great cause? Look no further! Back by popular demand, the New Danville Store has returned to Market Street - The Woodlands offering locally handcrafted products for the body and bath, kitchen, home and garden.

Proceeds from sales benefit New Danville, a master-planned, self-sustaining, integrated community located in north Montgomery County, Texas. New Danville serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Programs are designed to enrich their lives through a variety of age-appropriate activities which in turn give them purpose.

Shoppers will find quality hand-crafted products such as fine-writing pens, stately birdhouses, inspirational mosaic crosses, potted plants in decorative containers, delicious but easy to make baking mixes, pure vanilla bean extract, local raw honey, a wide variety of teas, and scented body and bath products, just to name a few of the unique products offered.

While most of the store’s products are handcrafted and beautifully packaged by clients of New Danville, the store offers many other items which complement their products such as porcelain tea pots and other tea accessories, customized embroidered towels and pillows, Nordic bake ware, and beautifully designed greeting cards.

The boutique-style store is located between Hyatt Centric The Woodlands and Charming Charlie. Last fall and holiday season, New Danville had a temporary storefront presence donated by Market Street - The Woodlands which proved to be a success.

There are several new products now offered at the store. In the bath and body section, there’s a new hair and body wash that is 100 percent natural and 75 percent organic. The men’s formula is scented with an earthy, sandalwood-musk essential oil, and lavender and chamomile essential oils for women. Also new to the store is a selection of easy-to-make baking mixes such as cakes, brownies, lemon squares, scones, jalapeno beer bread and Rustic French Boule no-knead yeast bread. Most popular has been the Royal Crème vanilla cake mix which can be sold with Nordic’s 70th Anniversary Crown bundt pan.

“Although our time at Market Street last year was limited, the store was very successful and was gaining popularity so we knew we had something good going on,” explained Kathy Sanders, founder and CEO of New Danville. “We are so grateful that Market Street has offered this opportunity to return with a longer-term presence. Plus, with this larger space, we’ve been able to expand our products.”

New Danville board member and store volunteer coordinator Cyndy Oller can often be found working a shift at the store alongside her 24-year-old daughter, Leah Strylewski, who has attended New Danville for the last three years. “I am delighted to show customers the array of fabulous items we have for sale. All proceeds support New Danville’s Life Learning Center, an adult education and training center. Leah began coming to New Danville after graduating from high school and absolutely loves it. She is now in the Wrangler-II program and enjoys sanding wood. I am so thankful that our community has such a wonderful place where adults with special needs can thrive.”

The New Danville Store is open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

New Danville is the only community concept of its kind that offers an affordable, holistic approach to services by offering adult educational, social-skills training and life-enrichment activities, low-cost rental housing, and job-skills training and employment opportunities. Established on a sprawling 42-acre pastoral setting, it is a special place where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism, brain injury and other disabilities can live, learn, work and grow emotionally, socially and spiritually with their non-disabled peers in a safe, caring environment. For more information about the community, visit www.NewDanville.org.