SHREWSBURY – Maple & Main has hired Jennifer Tabor as the store’s retail manager.
Maple & Main, which is run by the town’s Reaching Independence through Supported Employment (RISE) Program, is located at 557 Main St., and it will soon become the latest business to open in the center of town.
The store, set to open in late fall, will feature “local merchandise set to highlight our town and schools. While shopping, community members will be invited to look around and browse… unique and fun candies, drinks, and more,” according to a statement from Maple & Main.
The RISE Program aims to provide special education students ages 18 to 22 with “the skills and experiences they need to be successful members of the local community.” At the store, students will “participate in community learning experiences, volunteer and paid work opportunities, and community-based leisure activities,” the statement said.
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“Students [will] practice the skills they have learned in the classroom and apply those skills in the natural community setting,” according to the statement.
Tabor has been working with Shrewsbury Public Schools as an applied behavior analysis technician since 2018. Prior to joining the schools, Tabor worked with toddlers through adults at the Michael Lisnow Respite Center and the New England Center for Children.
Tabor lives in Shrewsbury, and she received her undergraduate degree from Fitchburg State University. In her spare time, Tabor runs her own small business, Finn and Company, which specializes in handmade dog accessories.
“Jen’s energy and positive attitude will bring a continued sense of enthusiasm for the students at RISE and the employees and customers of Maple & Main. As Jen stated, she looks forward to helping our 18-22 students become the best version of themselves while learning in a real working environment,” the business’s statement reads.