A thrift store in Ottawa, Kansas, providing work opportunities for persons receiving services from COF.

• COF Training Services, Inc. opened a large thrift store in December of 2016. It is called Thriftopia. It is a not-for-profit limited liability company (LLC). It is located in a strip mall among a larger number of other businesses on the south side of Ottawa, Kansas.

• Thriftopia provides part time paid prevocational training employment for approximately 55 people who are intellectually and/or developmentally disabled. This employment is in an integrated setting.

• The goal of thriftopia is to help individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities aqcuire the skills and competancies needed to gain competitive and integrated employment with employers who are not affiliated with COF.

• The other goal of Thriftopia is to provide employment opportunities for those who otherwise have never been able to work in an integrated setting.

• People from Ottawa and surrounding communities enjoy shopping at Thriftopia's store, located at 2210 South Princeton Drive, Ottawa, KS 66067.

• Tax-deductible donations are dropped off at Thriftopia's south side receiving area.

• Thriftopia activities may be followed on Facebook

• Craig Evans is the director of Thriftopia. Contact information: cevans@iee-inc.org / 785-248-6207

• Tiffany Griffin is the manager at Thriftopia. Contact information: tgriffin@cofts.org

IEE and Thriftopia are examples of actions that COF has taken to actually create jobs. This is necessary in rural areas where employment opportunities that people with I/DD are capable of filling are not always readily available in sufficient numbers.