People looking for a unique self-care item for their valentine still have a chance to get a handmade gift from Clearbrook before the big day Saturday.

The social services nonprofit operates a Naturally Gifted micro-business, which aims to help clients gain skills for employment in the community, Aly Halberstadt, who serves as Clearbrook’s director of community employment services, said.

The products the micro-business makes and sells include bath teas, soaps, candles and diffusers. They’re designed to be of similar quality to the cosmetic company Lush, Halberstadt said.

But every cent of profit the store makes goes back into supporting community employment services, Halberstadt said.

Not only does the business give employees experience to prepare them for outside employment, “it teaches them a variety of soft skills,” Halberstadt said.

Those skills include how to sell and market products and “how to be a friendly salesperson,” Halberstadt said. Clients also learn chemistry, how to make the products and follow instructions and also learn money skills and how to price things. Halberstadt added that participants also learn to be proud of their efforts.

Jessica Smart, the CEO of Clearbrook, said the employees also learn to name scents and assemble products, but also work on new product ideas.

Halberstadt said the program was around before COVID-19, but the pandemic “sort of did a number on the business.”

It relaunched over the summer with new products and employs 10 people who make the the item.

Smart said the agency has worked on reinventing the community day service program that aims to integrate clients into the community, and as part of that closed some warehouses and workshops in favor of bright, clean and inviting spaces. That sparked a relook into the program. There’s now two smaller locations where Naturally Gifted works out of. It’s been “wonderful” to have the space for the program, and it helps further tie the employees into the community where they work.

The skills are very important, Smart said, adding the program helps foster a sense of independence. It gives employees meaningful employment and autonomy to make and spend money, she said.

“Jobs are very, very important to our individuals,” Smart said.

The employees are people with disabilities who receive services from Clearbrook and are hired on as staff. Four employees are based in Woodstock and six in Rolling Meadows, Halberstadt said. It’s not a rotating program, and employees can stay on as long as they need.

And if you’re looking to get something for your valentine, Naturally Gifted might be able to help. The program doesn’t have a physical storefront, but it does have an online presence.

While it might be too late to have something shipped before Valentine’s Day, customers can choose to pick up their orders at either the Woodstock or Arlington Heights Clearbrook locations. Turnaround time for the orders depends, but it can be as quick as 24-48 hours, Halberstadt said. Traditionally, an order placed on Wednesday can be ready by Friday, she said.

Halberstadt said the micro-business does occasional pop-up events in Trout Valley and does them monthly at other Clearbrook locations. The pop-ups are one day situations where the team sets up shop.

Halberstadt said Naturally Gifted is planning to expand to Chicago-area farmers markets over this coming summer.

Naturally Gifted doesn’t have any special Valentine’s Day items or gift baskets, but the company encourages people to mix and match the products to make their own self-care kits and gift baskets, she said. The micro-business has seasonal items and scents that rotate in and out seasonally alongside more permanent staple items.

The scents complement each other, Halberstadt said, adding they make great favors for things like Galentine’s celebrations.

“It does make a great gift,” she said.

Here is where you can shop the Clearbrook Naturally Gifted store online: naturally-gifted.square.site/s/shop.