LYNN — Between the racks of second-hand clothes, shelves filled with books, and displays of donated dresses that fill the space of The Loft at Stetson, women in recovery are learning more than just job skills; they’re building confidence, stability, and getting a fresh start and a new beginning.

The Loft opened in 2022 under the direction of East Coast International Church Co-founder Jen Lange, who serves as its executive director. She said the store was created to support women in recovery who are re-entering the workforce.

The idea for The Loft came about while Lange was working with female volunteers at East Coast International. She began by starting a ministry, “At The Mansion,” in a home owned by the church, known as “The Mansion,” located at 159 Washington St. She began by offering waffles and coffee on Wednesdays for drop-in support.

“It’s a cozy, welcoming space. It’s not meant to be an AA meeting or an NA meeting. Just connection,” Jen Lange said.

She added that this came about while she was working with women who “would graduate from their programs and go into sober living. A lot of them were relapsing and overdosing. And so on a personal level, I was experiencing this for the first time. So after talking to different ladies, they said it’s really hard when you go into a sober house. You’re all alone from being in a program that’s telling you what to do, always. Then, being on your own and by yourself with your feelings and thoughts. You’re sober, and you’re feeling all of these feelings of re-entering life.”

After working in the mansion, Jen Lange said she wanted to offer women the opportunity to gain work experience before entering the workforce.

“A lot of them in their re-entry process might have an ankle bracelet that might be complicated to deal with with a regular employer, or have meetings with DCF or the clinics. So we just wanted to create a space where we get to be a really great employer and accommodate what they need to deal with as they’re restarting and rejoining the workforce,” she said.

The Loft is a 10,000 square foot store which offers clothes for men and women, along with household items, and is the only bookstore in the city, according to Jen Lange.

Kurt Lange, co-founder of East Coast International said the church’s focus is centered on the city,

“We serve Lynn. Our primary interest is Lynn. So we’re trying to bring as many opportunities to the city as possible. When we started The Loft at Stetson, we wanted to create something that not only would we be proud of but that the community could be proud of it. And so we wanted to serve the mission of creating a justice oriented job creation center,” he said.

Kurt Lange said they also wanted shoppers to be able to visit the store and enjoy their experience.

“It’s extremely affordable, which is a really nice part of it. But when you walk in, you don’t guess that it’s going to be affordable because it’s so beautiful, right?” he said.

While in recovery, women work around five hours a week for up to seven weeks while seeking permanent employment. Women can also be hired to work more and mentor new employees, Jen Lange said.

Niffer Bleicher, who travels from Chelsea each day to work at The Loft, said, “This place keeps me where I’m supposed to be. Just the whole meaning of the store keeps me on the right track, so I don’t slip and go back to where I was because, a year ago, I was living under a bridge in Beverly, drunk as a skunk, weighing about 110 pounds. So coming here, I no longer drink.”

She added, “It’s empowering me. It makes me know that I mean something. I’m not just somebody you throw away. I do mean something.”

Bleicher said working at The Loft has also allowed her to move into a one-bedroom apartment.

She said Jen Lange is a role model to her: “She’s like my mom, even though we’re almost the same age. I want to be her. Her thoughtfulness, her heart, her beliefs. Everything about her is what I want, and that’s what I’m working toward. So coming in every day and being with her, I can grasp it.”

Jen Lange said, “I love watching women really come back to life and become confident and understand that they matter, that their story is important, and just that we get to be a part of them coming back to life.”

Another employee at The Loft, Shanna Thomas from Lynn, said she has worked with Jen Lange for about a year, and while working at the store, she has gained increased self-esteem and has started feeling “like a human being again.”

“I come to work, and I feel like I have a purpose again. I get to come to work, dress up, and feel like an important person,” she said.

Thomas said that Jen Lange has been a major part of her recovery process, and “God puts people in your life for a reason…  She has helped me build my self-esteem and slowly learn how to become a woman.”

Thomas added, “For anybody who has not been to The Loft, it is like the Bloomingdale’s of all thrift stores. You should definitely come check it out. You definitely get your money’s worth.”

The Loft is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

East Coast International Church also operates two other non-profits in Lynn: The Haven Project and Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co.