Liberty’s Station to Hold Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Liberty’s Station, the new social enterprise of Amelia’s Closet in Murfreesboro, will have its grand opening celebration on Tuesday, November 1, beginning with a ribbon-cutting at 11:00 a.m. and continuing with facility tours and food sampling until 2:00 p.m.
Liberty’s Station is a progressive workforce pipeline in which 90% of its employees have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) or other employment barriers. The organization assesses, trains, and provides food preparation job experience to allow its paid interns to acquire long-term community employment.
“We’d love the public to see what we’re all about,” said Jody Powers, founding executive director of Amelia’s Closet and the inspiration behind Liberty’s Station. “Come meet some of our interns, enjoy samples of our gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and other offerings, and tour our facility.”
The food is prepared by Liberty’s Station staff in an on-site food truck donated by Peter and Kristin Demos and is served in its café. The café currently is open for lunch on Thursday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Powers plans to add more open days soon, as more funding and staffing become available.
Liberty’s Station also offers event space, commercial kitchen rental, and retail items featuring their private label coffee and one-of-a-kind gifts.
“I chose the name ‘Liberty’s’ for this endeavor because I want our interns to gain their independence, and I love America and our military,” Powers said. “Because the building was formerly a garage, I thought ‘Station’ would be a good fit,” she added.
Since 2014, Amelia’s Closet has helped remove unemployment barriers for economically and socially disadvantaged and at-risk women, with the goal of ending poverty cycles and other results of hopelessness.
“Having a job gives purpose and hope,” Powers said. “Our goal is to inspire disability inclusion in the marketplace by championing meaningful employment and financial liberty for IDD individuals.”
Liberty’s Station’s is located at 850 NW Broad Street, Murfreesboro, in the Jackson Heights shopping center.
