Brick It Again

“We Give Lego a New Life Here”

Nestled into a shopping plaza in Valley Cottage, behind a window display filled with colorfully painted bricks lies the Lego Resale Store Brick It Again. This non-profit store is the brainchild of Randi Rios, the CEO of Jawonio, who established the integrative employment site that employs people with and without disabilities. The store provides workforce training to disabled folks, as well as a storefront for new and gently used Lego bricks and a community space for Rocklanders of all abilities to get creative, spend time together, and get their Lego fix.

The resale location opened a year and a half ago, stemming from a realization Rios had while playing with her Lego-obsessed nephews. She wondered – what would happen to all of these plastic bricks once the boys were done playing with them? Having previously served on the board of the organization Yes She Can, an American Girl Doll resale organization, she believed that creating something similar with Lego would be an excellent fit for her goal of supporting individuals at Jawonio and teaching them valuable work skills. After submitting a proposal to the Mother Cabrini Foundation and receiving the money to begin the project, Jawonio got to work. The Mother Cabrini Foundation “…provides grants to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services”. According to Rios “…without them, [Brick It Again] never would have happened”.

The interior of Brick It Again is a wonderland for Lego enthusiasts. Boxes of new and gently used Lego sets line the walls and tables overflow with pounds of Lego bricks waiting to be manipulated. Rios states that 95% of what is on display in the store has come from community donations – a testament to the level of support the store has received. “One of the things that I think brought people to us is our ability to take a mission and really show people what happens when they embrace that and donate something like Legos that are able to put people to work”, states Rios.

Being able to put disabled community members to work is the central focus of Brick It Again. The infectiously cheery Store Manager Andrew Perr shared how he has been able to bear witness to the growth of the individuals working at Brick It Again. Perr gave an example of an employee who comes to work twice a week and how those two days have “…filled out five days worth of activities for him…he comes in on a Wednesday and Friday, but he gets up early on Tuesday to make sure he’s prepared to wake up at a proper time on Wednesday”. Perr mentioned how the space has encouraged social interaction, both with employees and guests in the store. Each employee receives their own paycheck, imbuing the individuals with a sense of agency, independence and pride in themselves and their work. These skills are ones that transfer out into the everyday, scaffolding confidence for the employees.

Brick It Again is able to adjust roles and responsibilities according to what best suits their employees. They learn a variety of skills, such as showing up on time, cash management, and social interaction skills with both customers and other employees. The employees are also in charge of sanitizing donations, packing up sets to be resold, and they have their own version of Master Builders. These Master Builders rebuild donated sets to make sure they include all of the pieces, and many of these intricate sets are on display around the store.

“We see the value of putting people to work and what that means to them personally and socially…” says Rios. “…To hear the stories from the families and the transformation and how it’s impacted people’s lives…this store has exceeded my biggest expectations”.

One of the largest surprises for Perr and Rios has been the influx of support and volunteer hours from the community. They have had a large number of groups come through looking for volunteer hours like Girl Scouts, teenagers looking to gain volunteer hours for their Bat or Bar Mitzvah or their honors programs, and even adults with a passion for the non-profit. They also have folks come into the store through day-habilitation programs and other pre-vocational programs. During the interview with RCT, a large bus filled with young disabled Hasidic women entered the space and went to the creative space in the back of the store to create to their heart’s content. Perr picked up a skeleton bone half buried amongst the swaths of Lego and waved. “Need a hand?” he joked as the young women entered the store.

“Everybody is welcome to come in and play with Legos”, stated Perr, holding hands with the skeleton. He encouraged community members of all ages to come out to Brick It Again, connect with their inner child, or even work from home as their own children engage with the Legos. Perr shared how the store has had “…parents that have picked up a chair, sat in the corner, and read their book for the next three hours while the kids play with Legos”. With no cost to be in the store, strong wifi, a fridge, freezer, microwave, bathroom with a baby changing table and two TVs, Jawonio has done all they can to make the space as comfortable and accessible as possible. Perr also noted how many parents will use the experience to help educate their children “…about the nonprofit and donating and doing good… it helps them start teaching their kids  about donating and about letting go of things that they’re no longer using, while also contributing to a bigger concept”.

Brick It Again is open every day and is available for free play, for birthday parties, for work from home and more. An upcoming event includes a sensory-friendly, inclusive concert on November 10th in collaboration with Especially Everyone and a Build a Lego Gymnast-Powered Car event on November 12th in collaboration with St. Thomas Aquinas. Learn more at brickitagain.org and follow them @brickitagain.