โBe kind” is such a simple sentimentโnonpartisan, non-denominational, non-controversial. Itโs sad that we might have to be reminded to โbe kind,โ but in these difficult times, it seems to have become more and more necessary.
One young Lebanon womanโs equally simple projectโputting that sentiment on tablets and t-shirts in her own distinctive handwritingโhas struck a resounding chord with area residents.
โHereโs an adult with Down syndrome that is so pure of heart and sheโs spreading this message of positivity and people are embracing it,โ Judy Leggat, mom and caregiver of 22-year-old Greer Leggat, said in a phone interview. โIt gives her purpose.โ
Leggat and husband Dave have two other adult children, Addy and Frances DiFabio. She spoke about Greerโs artistic bent.
โGreer started (painting) coasters and ornaments, because sheโs a little crafty,โ Leggat said. โAnd then, I was like, ‘Hey, why donโt we put her handwriting on tablets?’ So we contacted Cedar Crest High School and the teacher who does that printed out these tablets, and Greer went in and cut them.โ
The tablets and other items are sold at Carriage House Style in Quentin, where Greer has worked since last spring.
โShe introduces herself, she greets the customers, she shows them around the store,โ Leggat said. โShe sits at the register and tells people to look at her magnets and her shirts. Itโs an unpaid position, but she gets to sell her items there.โ
Jane Yorty has owned Carriage House Style since 2018 and has known Judy Leggat since high school; her two daughters went to school with Greer. She spoke about having Greer work there in a phone interview.
โSheโll help me with arrangements, she helps me with her stock, but for the most part, sheโs there just putting on a bright face for people,โ Yorty said.
โIโm really lucky to have her with meโshe blesses me more than I probably bless her. Iโm honored by her friendship. I think it makes me a better person. Having Greer around brings the best out of people.”
Yorty said many Carriage House Style customers make it a point to stop by when Greer is working.
โIt comes from such a pure place, and people feel that when they come in and see her and meet her,โ Yorty said.
โItโs fun and I enjoy myself,โ Greer said about working at the store. โI get to greet the customersโitโs really been great!โ
First, it was the tablets that took off, Yorty said.
โPeople were buying tablets (which are $4.95) at Christmastime, like 10 at a time, five at a time, 20 at a timeโthey were giving them as office gifts or stocking-stuffers,โ she said. โThey just liked the message and the fact that it came from Greer.โ
Leggat then came up with the t-shirt idea. She had initially ordered 12, which she and her niece made by hand using a craft plotter to cut out Greerโs handwritten message and print it on the shirts.
โThey were gone before they got [to the store],” she said. There was just this influx of orders.”
After Yorty put pictures of the shirts on social media, the demand really increased.
โI did over a hundred shirts right before Christmasโhand-did ironing with the Cricut vinylโand I was ordering shirts from Amazon,โ Leggat said. โI couldnโt keep up.โ
After the New Year, Leggat started having the shirts made by Major League Screen Printing and Embroidery in Lebanon. An initial order of 100 was down to five in a weekโs time; about 35 were used to satisfy backorders, she said. Over 200 have been sold to date, with another 109 in the worksโhalf of which have already been sold.
โYesterday, my first five customers were like, ‘Whereโs Greerโs shirts?’โ Yorty said. โI knew some of them knew her, but these shirts have started a movementโthereโs people who have seen the posts and have seen part of her story and want to be a part of this.”
Not just people who know Greer, but total strangers, too.
โI have people coming in who have never met herโsomeone said they saw someone on Facebook with the shirt on,โ Yorty said. โPeople are showing their shirts and posting them.โ
Those social media posts also caught the attention of a large multinational corporation.
Last summer, Jenn Thompson, human resources manager for Vanity Fair Corporation (VF), saw pictures of the shirts on the storeโs Facebook page and came by the store to meet Greer.
VF hopes to make up 10 percent of its workforce with adults with disabilities through a “Universal Design and Inclusion Program” at its distribution center in Jonestown, Leggat said. VF has partnered with another company, Viability, which teaches people with disabilities to work for VF.
On Jan. 7, Greer and her shirts became the face of the program.
โThey were like, ‘We really want to use her โBe Kind’ [design], we want to get shirts for all our employees,’โ Leggat said. โSo we gave her the authority to use โBe Kindโ on a shirt, and they put the Vanity Fair logo and โMagic by Greerโ on the back.”
“Magic by Greer” is Greer’s Instagram account, created by her sister Frances.
VF then made a donation to Developmental and Disability Services of Lebanon Valley for using Greerโs message on their shirts, Leggat said.
Yorty said Greerโs work at her store echoes the stated goal of VF’s program. Working at Carriage House, Greer has had exposure to “all different people” who stop by the store.
โShe has composure,โ Yorty said. โAll this comes so effortlessly now, itโs just right there for her.โ
The social media shares led to even more inquiries. Both Lebanon County Special Olympics and Pennsylvania Special Olympics shared Carriage Houseโs postings. People from all over the state have ordered shirts, Leggat said, including friends from Allentown and Pittsburgh. Other friends will be wearing them in California, Maryland, and Virginia, and her daughters wear them in New York City and Miami, Fla.
โIn the past week and a half, we were at the Bluebird and somebody approached us and was like, ‘How do I get a shirt?’โ Leggat said. “We were at the Quentin Tavern and [another person] was like, ‘OK, I need to come get one.’ I donโt even know who that person is, itโs just been an outpouring of love.โ
Yorty said the store has received ‘Be Kind’ inquiries from teachers at Union Canal and Henry Hauck elementary schools.
โI wouldnโt be surprised if it starts growing as far as school representation,โ she said.
The raglan baseball-style shirts are $27. A portion of the sales from each shirt goes to Lebanon County Special Olympics and to Developmental and Disability Services, where Leggat is a board member.
Aside from the shirts, Leggat has put the message on a few canvas tote bags and has discussed trying baseball hats and kidsโ clothes (though some pieces have been done by request, such as onesies for friends’ infant children).
โWe may expand on sayings,” Leggat said. “When I was doing them, we were doing โBe Awesome,โ โBe Happy,โ โLive Happy’โthose may be in our future.โ
The family is meeting with an attorney to figure out how to handle the growing demand for the shirts. The family needs to be mindful of how the venture impacts Greer, Leggat said.
With that in mind, the Leggats have also submitted an application to talk show host Ellen DeGeneresโ grant program for women entrepreneurs.
Apart from her artistic endeavors, Greer has a busy schedule.
She volunteers at Henry Hauck Elementary School once a week. She is going to be in a video presentation for Lebanon Countyโs Department of Mental Health Intellectual Disabilities observance of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March at Lebanon Council of the Arts.
She does bocce, bowling, and swimming with Special Olympics, and takes three classes at DDS: hip-hop dance, art, and nutrition and wellness.
How does she feel when she sees someone wearing one of her shirts?
โVery happy,โ she said. โIt makes me happy and full of joy!โ
โShe loves to see people in her shirts. Sheโs like, ‘You love my shirt, youโre wearing my shirt!’โโ Leggat said. โShe just thinks itโs great that everybodyโs wearing her shirts. She doesnโt think beyond that because sheโs just so pure of heart.”
As far as the future, Leggat said there are no expectations.
โWeโre surprised already at how people have embraced this,” she said. “But we love it because she loves it so much.โ
Do you have a message for Greer or want to be notified when the shirts are available again? Leave your message and contact info below, and we will share with the Magic by Greer team!
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