My visit to the Brookwood Store became the most pleasant shopping experience I had last week! Have you visited? The pop-up shop is open 10am - 5pm Tuesdays thru Saturdays and is located at 2025 Hughes Landing across the parking lot from Whole Foods. When I popped in, a treasure trove of high-quality handcrafted soaps, body creams, candles, decorative art, food products, and plants welcomed me in to gleefully spend the $50 gift card I’d received for Christmas.
If the store is a delight, its mission is even more impressive. Brookwood Store is a part of the Brookwood Community, a God-centered educational, residential, and entrepreneurial community for adults with functional disabilities. There’s a lot to learn about the community, its mission, and its main campus in Brookshire, TX, but key is that most the of items in the Brookwood Store are hand-crafted by adults with disabilities. Brookwood provides opportunities for these adults, through education, to acquire meaningful job skills and hold real jobs in the Community’s own business enterprises.
I had no problem “overspending” my gift card. The store attendants were patient and helpful, and I exited the store with goat’s milk soap, body cream, bubble bath, salad dressing (it’s so delicious!), and a couple other items. Everything I’ve used so far appears to be high quality, and I’m pretty sure the soaps are the best soaps I’ve used in a long time. It’s the most curious thing! Novelty soaps often look and smell great but don’t necessarily have any other special qualities. The soaps I purchased from Brookwood are superb. The glycerin-based one makes my face feel so soft and smooth (although I really don’t know if it’s meant to be used on face.) My 7-year-old is using the goat’s milk soap for her daily baths, and it lathers well and smells great.
Next time you’re passing through the area, pop in at the Brookwood Store and try something new! The store was open during the holiday season and closed for a while before reopening at the end of January 2021. Currently, they’re scheduled to be in place through April 24, and we don’t exactly know what will happen after that, so please go experience them while you can!
