New line of Chicago Lighthouse clocks debuts at Wheaton Target
The clocks that Nick Siavelis packages are more than attractive wall decorations that tell time.
"All serve as proof that visually impaired and blind people can do quality work," the 40-year-old Elgin man said.
Target is now the recognizing that craftsmanship by Siavelis and his co-workers at The Chicago Lighthouse clock factory. As are 85 percent of the employees, Siavelis is legally blind.
They have assembled a new Lighthouse collection that has launched in three Target stores - two in the city and one in Wheaton. The line represents Lighthouse's first foray into "fashion" clocks after decades of making commercial products for federal government buildings and offices.
"We need to continue to grow our business so we can keep providing jobs," said Pam Tully, Lighthouse's chief operating officer.
Founded in 1906, the social service organization provides a lifeline for people who are visually impaired and struggle to find jobs. A 2015 study showed that just 42 percent of adults with visual disabilities in the U.S. were employed.
In addition to the clock factory, the Lighthouse runs customer service call centers for the Illinois Tollway and other state agencies. Those businesses, in turn, support services for veterans and adults and kids who are blind or visually impaired.
"We are truly a social enterprise," Tully said.
And as such, the Lighthouse is a hub of activity. The industrial building in Chicago's medical district houses one of the oldest low-vision clinics in the country, a cafeteria and a preschool, among other programs.
"We kind of really are this community of care that stems from birth through seniors," said Tully, who lives in Wheaton and approached the Target store off Roosevelt Road about carrying the new collection of clocks in the home decor and children's departments.
The most popular clocks so far are printed with iconic Chicago images. On one face are the blue stripes and red, six-pointed stars of the city's flag, and on another a map of CTA lines.
If the collection catches on with shoppers, Lighthouse executives plan to reach more Target stores and online customers. All sale proceeds are reinvested into Lighthouse programs.
Lighthouse board member Larry Broutman also is helping raise funds for the organization by donating proceeds from his new book, "Chicago Monumental," which will hit Target shelves next week.
"For us, it really is all about changing lives and giving people those opportunities to be self-sufficient and take care of themselves," Tully said.
Siavelis started working at the factory in 2008, ending a frustrating job search that dragged on for four years. He had lived with his parents and then his brother before he got his own apartment in Elgin a few years ago.
"Having all the freedom that comes with living on your own," he said, "I never could have gotten that if it hadn't been for getting this job at the Lighthouse."