Experience Downtown Blog

Shop for a cause at Water St. Boutique

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"Holiday shopping has never felt this good."

"Downtown is gearing up for the holidays and so are we," says Rachel Forman, executive director of the Grand Avenue Club, which recently opened its latest initiative called Water St. Boutique. The upscale resale store is in the lower-level of the Grand Avenue Club on the corner of Water and Michigan Street. 

The new boutique offers job training skills for individuals with a mental illness. According to Forman, one in every five Milwaukee County residents will experience a mental illness at some point during his or her lifetime. In 1991, the Grand Avenue Club was founded on the principle of providing opportunities for all individuals with a mental illness, and is demonstrated in one powerful message to its members -- "we need your help to run the Grand Avenue Club."

The Water St. Boutique will provide members with retail experience, with the ultimate goal of placing members in permanent retail roles in the community. Featuring quality merchandise ranging from men's and women's apparel, accessories, and home decor at affordable prices, Water St. Boutique boasts a stylish interior and occasional in-store promotions, fashion shows and events. 

"Your money will support the Grand Avenue Club community, while also furthering our members' employment aspirations. You will look good, feel good and do a very good thing as well," says Forman. 

For more information on membership services for the Grand Avenue Club, visit their website at www.grandavenueclub.org. 

For more information on Water St. Boutique, including store hours, visit their website at www.waterstreetboutique.org.