Entering 2023 with Heart and Impact!

Here at Gabi’s, we’re all about the future. Looking forward. Dreaming about the possibilities each new day brings, and then making those dreams reality.

In other words, we really don’t have time to look back. There’s just too much to do!

But even though we’re always in a hurry, maybe we could spare a moment—just a brief one—to take a quick look at what we we’ve been able to accomplish. Because even we have to admit—2022 was a really, REALLY good year for Gabi’s.

For starters, let’s talk about what Gabi herself accomplished last year. First, she continued her public speaking tour by presenting the work of Gabi’s to lots of conferences and local clubs, including the Civitan international conference and the Abound Health conference. She was also the featured speaker at Jess Ekstrom’s Bright Side conference, and she appeared on Raleigh’s highly-rated WRAL morning show with Ken Smith. And every crowd she speaks to is blown away by her ability to communicate so effectively despite numerous obstacles.

But maybe her greatest achievement is that she bought her own townhouse! How great is that?

But Gabi wasn’t the only one who had a fantastic 2022. The organization itself grew by leaps and bounds in more ways than one. First, the number of employees doubled—and then some. We added 25 new workers—and their special abilities—to bring the total workforce to 45. Remember, the whole idea was to provide good jobs for Gabi and her friends, and we’re proud to be making that happen.

And we needed every one of those new faces to manage the new accounts we added, including an exclusive contract with Peter Millar (yes, that Peter Millar) to reprice designer clothing. We also added more warehouse storage space for client drop shipping.

Business was great—so much so that Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin gave Gabi’s an award from her Committee for Persons with Disabilities as Employer of the Year! And the people of Raleigh weren’t the only ones to notice—companies from across the country sent teams to Gabi’s to volunteer. Let’s face it—when you do good work, and when you help others, everyone wants to be a part of it.

But 2022 wasn’t just about work. It was also a lot of fun! There was the employee beach getaway last summer, and then there was the first annual Gabi’s Ghostly Gala at Halloween. But the best party might have been the Doing Good Gala in December, sponsored by The Loading Dock (which is where Gabi’s makes its home). What made that party so great? Well, in addition to great food and music, the Loading Dock community raised $40k for Gabi’s! We were blown away by the generosity of our neighbors and colleagues, and that money will definitely be put to good use.

Because that’s what Gabi’s is all about—taking the resources that we have and doing something great with them. Whether it’s the unique special abilities of our employees or the unselfish contributions from people like you, we you can rest assured that all of it will be used to make our community better. 

Okay—enough looking back. 2022 was fantastic. But 2023 will be even greater. 

Don’t believe us? Just watch.