Two brothers with passion to give back create Vernon nonprofit

VERNON, Conn. (WFSB) – When items get sold at Rae’s of Sunshine and Love in Vernon, the money made doesn’t go into the owner’s pockets, it goes right back to the community.

Rae and Ricky Jordan are the twin brothers behind Rae’s of Sunshine and Love on the corner of Windsor Avenue and Berger Road.

“I’m always a giver. Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, I’m always a giver,” said Rae Jordan, founder of Rae’s of Sunshine and Love.

It all started with Rae’s passion for giving back.

Years ago, he started to make blankets and donated them to domestic violence shelters and cancer centers.

“People kept saying, ‘I want to buy them,’ and at that time I’d say, ‘No, they’re just for donations,’” Rae said. “But people kept saying, ‘We want to buy them! We want to buy them!’ So I said, ‘Okay.’”

The brothers took the step of growing the passion project into a non-profit.

“Our main service is if people need assistance with groceries, hygiene products, baby supplies, they just reach out to us on our website,” said Ricky Jordan, President/Director of Rae’s of Sunshine and Love.

Right now they’re helping 10 to 15 families. That’s about 20 to 30 people per month.

The hope is to increase funding with their new storefront to help more people.

“Our goal is that you can come in and shop, get products you’ll love and enjoy, but it’s allowing to pay it forward as well,” Ricky explained.

It’s a full circle moment for the brothers who fell on hard times while being raised by a single parent.

“My mom had to work 2-3 jobs, but it didn’t always cut it. We needed to go to the food pantry, we needed gifts at Christmas time. So for us, it’s almost like a dream,” said Ricky.

The Jordan’s just expanded and created a food bank to help feed the families they work with.

You can drop off nonperishable items at the storefront, or donate money to their non-profit in person.

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