By Greg Ellison

(Jan. 21, 2021) Ocean Pines resident Kim Shanahan, who runs the web-based business “Gifts Fulfilled” that employs adults with intellectual disabilities, experienced an economic boost following the surge in online commerce after the onset of coronavirus last spring.

Shanahan, who is a board member with the Worcester County Developmental Center, relocated the previously home-based custom gift basket operation to a 1,200-sqaure-foot production center in the Taylorville Center on Racetrack Road in September.

“We grew quite a bit last year and, hopefully, will continue to grow at that rate this year,” she said.

Located in Newark, the Worcester County Developmental Center helps clients with intellectual disabilities cultivate job skills and provides varying levels of supervised residential housing.

After developing a business concept several years ago to employ people with disabilities to produce handmade gift baskets and care packages, giftsfulfilled.com’s  profile with the buying public went up considerably last year when it linked up with Amazon, Shanahan said.

“We were able to meet their requirements and get certified as an Amazon Prime shipper,” she said. “That’s what enabled me to grow out of the home and into the production center.”

Kim Shanahan

The global marketplace proved lucrative, with the Amazon listing luring in requests for wholesale orders.

The outcome was far different than Shanahan envisioned when the pandemic struck last March.

“I thought business would take a hit because people would stop spending but then online shopping blew up,” she said.

Her expectations shifted after an unanticipated spate of orders were received over Easter weekend in mid-April.

“On Easter, I had everybody out and nobody was working except for me,” she said.

After handling that holiday surge single handedly, Shanahan recognized the situation would likely intensify during the Christmas shopping season.

By June, Shanahan began scouting commercial properties but found limited options before finding a suitable vacancy in Taylorville Center.

“I look at every business decision from the realm of does this serve the company mission, which is to employ people that have disabilities,” she said. “That’s how everything is guided.”

What originally guided Shanahan to establish the company was heightened health concerns before delivering her final child at 40 years of age.

Although advised of developmental risks associated with older-age pregnancy’s Shanahan opted against genetic testing determined to love her newborn regardless of outcomes.

“It gave me time to think about if this child’s born with a disability what’s that’s going to look like,” she said.

While Shanahan eventually delivered a healthy son, currently 10, contemplating the possibilities caused her to think of less fortunate parents.

“I’m worried once they hit adulthood,” she said. “If I’m not around, and he’s an adult, is he going to be in a home or institution?”

It was also evident to Shanahan that adults with developmental challenges have limited job options and face monumental challenges finding appropriate housing.

“All of these things that we face as adults if you have a disability — it’s a thousand times more difficult to navigate that whole process,” she said.

In 2017, Shanahan’s family settled in Ocean Pines after years of recurring relocations as a military spouse, at which point the business concept began to take life.

“My son was not born with a disability but I just had that belief that’s sort of what I was meant to be doing with this idea,” she said. “I was meant to take it further and not just let it die away.”

With decades of experience preparing gift baskets and care packages under her belt, Shanahan decided to stick to familiar ground.

“I could take what I know about the gift basket industry and start a business to create jobs for people with disabilities,” she said.

In short order, Shanahan crossed paths with Karen Waggoner, formerly business development manager at WCDC, at an Eastern Shore marketing event.

“I told her, ‘I’m new to the area and the goal of my business is to employ people with disabilities.’ She said ‘you are in luck,’” she said.

Waggoner invited Shanahan to visit Worcester County Developmental Center and engage their clients to assess skill levels and adapt production methods accordingly.

“They gave me a chance to come in and set up projects and test things out with the clients,” she said

The proving ground helped Shanahan confirm basket-making processes could be adjusted appropriately.

“I can adapt things to meet the skill levels of the people I was going to hire and not have it effect the quality of the product,” she said.

Looking ahead, Shanahan hopes to find a larger production facility in the near future and expand staffing, but remains indebted for the initial assistance from the Worcester County Developmental Center.

“Taking my knowledge and then being able to put it to real world practice at WCDC, that was a gift for them to let me come in there and try this out,” she said.