Our History

This dream started in 2016. It began as a crew of individuals and a staff, Dustin Olsen, taking donated furniture and turning them into beautiful, refurbished furniture pieces. The crew was able to showcase and sell these pieces at the Employment Connections Annual Benefit Sale. From the overwhelming response to those refurbished pieces, Custom Creations was born.

With lots of planning and many generous donations, in October 2021, our dream for something bigger became a reality. DSNWK opened a store at 1107 Main St. in Hays, Kansas. Custom Creations is an accessible space in the heart of downtown Hays where the public can easily view the work of our artists; from one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture to smaller creations. This visibility has allowed us to connect with the community in new ways, prompting awareness and inclusion, and providing knowledge about DSNWK services, Custom Creations and the incredible abilities of the people we serve.

Individuals served in DSNWK's College for Living day services, located in Atwood, Hays, Hill City, Norton, Russell, & Hoxie, have the opportunity to create handmade art and decor to sell at Custom Creations. This provides persons served a unique opportunity to earn income from their artistic skills.

Many of the helping hands behind the scenes belong to our moving crew. This small group of individuals and staff help us perform a total inventory refresh in the store once a month so you can always find something new!