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Welcome to the GEAR Foundation where the right people in the right place are doing the right thing.

You have entered the official GEAR Foundation website where you can find out what we are doing in the Franklin/Nashville community to provide oportunities to individuals with disabilities. Take a look around. Check out Our Purpose, Our Thrift Store,  How you can get involved, and so much more.

The Mission of the GEAR Foundation is to provide individuals with disabilities work experiences, which will enable them to discover and develop their unique capabilities and potential, and to help them achieve the highest degree of independence and self respect.

Dan Post Boots Awards GEAR a 5 Year Contract

Franklin TN, December 1, 2008—Two years after the successful launch of Our Fulfillment Center, Dave Krikac, president and founder, is pleased to report that the initial client, Dan Post Boot Company located in Clarksville Tennessee has extended their agreement for another five years.  Our Fulfillment Center has supported Dan Post Boot Company as a fulfillment organization that packages and ships Dan Post Cowboy and Cowgirl Certified Socks across the nation. 

GEAR would like to hire more young adults for this endeavor and is hopeful that business will grow based on the good results of their initial client.  "We have been supportive from the beginning” stated Ken Sersland, President, Get Certified, LLC who is responsible for the product line.  "GEAR has done a terrific job for us and we are pleased to continue that relationship supporting the fine work that is done in creating jobs for disabled young adults in Williamson County.” 

"I have been very appreciative of the opportunity and the positive feedback that both Ken Sersland and Mr. Moore (President, Dan Post Boot Company) have provided to Our Fulfillment Center.  Their faith in us and what we are doing has meant a great deal to the young adults who are able to show up and work on this project week after week” stated Krikac. 

Our Fulfillment Center is located two doors down from Our Thrift Store on Columbia Avenue in downtown Franklin. For more information about The Gear Foundation, please visit www.thegearfoundation.org.

About The GEAR Foundation (www.thegearfoundation.org)

The Mission of The GEAR Foundation, Our Thrift Store and Our Fulfillment Center is to provide individuals with disabilities with work experiences, which will enable them to develop their own unique capabilities and potential, thereby achieving Gainful Employment and Respect. Earlier this year the store received The Shining Apple Award in Business & Industry from the Williamson County School District for their support of Page and Centennial high schools' young adults with disabilities

A Step Of Faith

Tennessee Magazine

June 2008

MTEMC The Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation

The dream started with hope. prayer and a vision for The GEAR Foundation founder Dave Krikac, who aspired to provide a chance at life for some local young adults with disabilities.
*When my daughter. Sara, graduated from high school about four years ago, my wife and I were so happy for her.* Krikac said. *However, when she started looking for jobs we quickly found out there*s little opportunity for young adults with disabilities.* In fact. the Krikac's not only found out they couldn't find a job for Sara who is autistic, but they also discovered some shocking statistics, *We found there were more than 800 young adults out of about 1,400 with disabilities in Williamson County that were unemployed* Krikac said. *So we prayed about it and felt like it was our job to do something* So Krikac and his wife who relocated to Tennessee several years ago to help some friends start a church, leaned on their faith for the answers.
*Here I am this little start-up guy with a huge vision to create all these businesses so I can employ young adults with disabilities* Krikac said, *and I've got no track record like most grants ask for to prove I can do this* It was during this time MTEMC's board of directors implemented Operation Round Up a program designed to round up member bills to the nearest dollar with the excess change going back into the communities to help nonprofit organizations like The GEAR Foundation.
*I found a facility on Columbia Avenue in Franklin that seemed perfect for my idea of housing a thrift store,* Krikac said. *The problem was I had no track record other than a little mailbox painting business I had just started with one employee. Nobody who granted money wanted to touch me with a 10 foot pole* But MTEMC's Customers Care board, which oversees Operation Round Up funds grant donations saw it differently.
*I'll never forget their words* Krikac said. *They told me they believe in what I'm doing and the impact that I could make on these young adults*

Dave Krikac, left, poses with Our Thrift Store employee Michael Spaulding, who helps with book processing and pricing at the store. The GEAR Foundation's Our Thrift Store, located in Franklin Plaza on Columbia Avenue, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and sells everything from clothes to furniture.

And with a $5.000 donation from Operation Round Up. The GEAR Foundation was able to get into its building and open Our Thrift Store. and Krikac was able to launch his vision.
*Yeah, you guys helped us get this moving:* Krikac said. *But you also got us that first donation that is allowing us to bless so many other ministries* In fact The GEAR Foundation gives away about 10,000 pieces of clothing a year and $100,000 worth of furniture and supports seven other ministries. The organization has blossomed to 22 employees with disabilities and even added a second store, Our Fulfillment Center which focuses on creating jobs for wheelchair-users. The new venture serves as a packaging and shipping business.
*The more businesses I can expand. the more opportunities I have to hire more kids:* Krikac said. *Every dollar we make above and beyond what we need to function allows us to hire another kid. And this is exactly what Krikac continues to do as he is looking to start a janitorial service. a bakery and even a lawn-care business.
*You can't believe what MTEMC's Operation Round Up donations have meant to us* Krikac said. *You guys believed in us when we needed it most. This represents a job, a life and independence for my daughter and 22 other special kids right now*.

The GEAR Foundation Receives the Shining Apple Award

The GEAR Foundation was honored with the 2008 Shining Apple Award in the Business and Industry Category from Williamson County Schools. The awards ceremony was hosted by Steve Hayslip who is the morning WTVF News Channel 5 Anchor.