This new storefront is fighting homelessness in OKC with screen-printed T-shirts

The Homeless Alliance recently launched a new business that fits its mission to a T.

Curbside Apparel is a new screen-printing company that joins the Homeless Alliance's growing list of social enterprises that aim to help people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City.

The new company is providing program participants with new job skills so they can transition out of homelessness. Other Homeless Alliance social enterprises with the same aim include the Curbside Chronicle street magazine, Curbside Flowers and Sasquatch Shaved Ice.

Dan Straughan, the Homeless Alliance's longtime executive director, said he's excited to see the start of another social enterprise, which is how the nonprofit describes using business practices to achieve social good.

"We have the magazine and that's one sort of model, the snow cone stand is a food service model and the floral design is really nice, but some people, maybe they're not a flower person or food service person and being in a production environment like this is a good fit for them," he said. "That's why we developed this one, and if it can be half as successful as the magazine and flower shop, I'd be thrilled."

Community members and organizations already have been connecting with the new company to meet their printing needs that include custom T-shirts, posters and other items created at Curbside Apparel's shop, 1101 NW 6. Since its soft launch in May, the new screen-printing outlet has printed items for several different companies and groups, including the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Downtown OKC, Allegiance Credit Union, Juneteenth on the East, a local Catholic grade school and a utility company.

Julie Dewalt, marketing chair for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art's Moderns Board, said Curbside Apparel recently screen printed tote bags featuring the museum's logo. She said her group previously worked with Curbside Flowers and had positive results.

"Anytime the museum can support local entities especially one that's doing good for the community and one that supports the arts, we will do it," she said.

Meanwhile, Danielle Dodson, a spokeswoman for Downtown OKC, said the organization was pleased with the staff T-shirts that Curbside Apparel recently made. She said Downtown OKC staff members wore the T-shirts at a Downtown Employee Appreciation Day in June.

"We have had a long relationship with supporting and collaborating with Curbside and are excited to grow our relationship in a new way with their apparel operation," Dodson said.

Could Curbside Apparel model expand to Enid, El Reno?

Guests at Curbside Apparel's grand-opening event were given an opportunity to try their hand at screen printing a T-shirt. Mike Joseph, a former Homeless Alliance board member, and Frank Turner, who currently sits on the board, were part of the group of guests who made shirts under the guidance of Jacob Danley, Curbside Apparel's assistant manager.

Whitley O'Connor, social enterprise strategist with the Homeless Alliance, said the apparel company has been a pilot project for a while, and grant funding allowed the Homeless Alliance to buy necessary equipment. He said the Homeless Alliance worked with Metro Tech to create a screen-printing curriculum for a training course that Curbside program participants could take to work at Curbside Apparel. After completing the program, the participants would gain screen-printing certification, work with Curbside Apparel from eight to 12 months, and then be able to work in a screen-printing business elsewhere using the skills they learned through the program.

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O'Connor said a long-term goal is to create a hub for social enterprise to share the Curbside social enterprise model with other communities across the state.

"Obviously, we'd love to continue expanding Curbside, but we've developed a model that works very well, and we'd love to take that kind of show on the road to places like Enid and El Reno," he said. "They all want to figure out how to employ folks in their communities."

How to learn more about Curbside Apparel

For more information about Curbside Apparel, go to https://curbsideapparel.com/.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Curbside Apparel in OKC helps fight homelessness with screen prints