How One Small Business Is Crafting Change in Rural Michigan
In a town of 7,500, Jenina Halitsky's shop Nina’s Notions is a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth
Jenina Halitsky didn't set out to create St. Johns' newest LGBTQ+ safe space when she opened Nina's Notions Paper Crafting. But in a town of 7,500 surrounded by farmland, her craft store has become exactly that — a place where Pride flags in the windows signal something more valuable than the paper crafting supplies inside.
A lifelong crafter, Halitsky saw an opportunity when a local store was going out of business a year and a half ago. Opening her own place, she knew that one of the shop’s core values would be inclusivity. Today, the store not only proudly displays the Pride flag, but Halitsky hosts affirming events and retreats and has collaborated with area non-profits that support LGBTQ+ youth.
“I have family members who are in the LGBTQ+ community and I’ve always been open to it,” Halitsky said. “Love is love and I wanted a business that would be open to everybody. I have little flags in my window saying we support everybody. We participate in the Pride events in St. Johns.”
The store is more than just a retail outlet selling supplies. Nina’s Notions is designed to be a place where people can create, learn and find community. That sense of community is created outside the doors of Nina’s Notions too. Halitsky is more than willing to pack up her supplies and go to where people are gathering, as she did on a recent Friday.
She partnered with St. Johns Call-In Coalition, a community organization founded in 2020 with the vision of “calling in the community to celebrate differences, create relationships, empower disenfranchised groups and to foster diversity in an effort to create a more inclusive, safer and healthier community,” according to their website.
Twice a month, they provide a “Third Space,” a safe place for LGBTQ+ youth and their supportive adults. Co-founder Andrea Ryan, a licensed clinical social worker, described it as a drop-in space for LGBTQ+ youth that they host at the Clinton County RESA.
Halitsky attended a session, hosting a workshop for high school-aged teenagers on quilling, an art form involving rolling thin paper to create intricate designs.
“She brought in all of her stuff and she came into the Third Space,” Ryan said. “She did an awesome project with us and the kids had fun doing it. Now we’re trying to think about what else can we do, because they really like it. I’m thinking next time we take the kids to her location.”
Halitsky said the two organizations hope to host an adult group for parents of LGBTQ+ youth who need a place to make connections and gain support.
This type of visible allyship, Ryan says, makes a difference and can even save lives.
“Kids need to know where and who they can be safe with,” Ryan said. “People are talking bad about the LGBTQ+ community, trying to create policy against people living their lives. So quite honestly, it saves lives when people can be bold and say, ‘Yes, I am an ally in the community.’”
Ryan points to the significantly higher suicide rates within the LGBTQ+ community. According to The Trevor Project’s 2023 National Survey, 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, with rates even higher among transgender and nonbinary youth. Research shows that having just one accepting adult can reduce the risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people by 40%. Ryan emphasized that simply letting someone know they are seen and valued can be life-saving. They also noted that even in the absence of overt hostility, silence and lack of support can contribute to feelings of isolation and risk.
“Being in a rural place there are a lot of things that just aren’t talked about and not talking about something is not a sign of safety,” Ryan said. “When someone like Jenina can be bold and say, ‘Yes, you are welcome in my shop. I’m here with you. I’m standing right beside you,’ it’s life-changing for kids.”
The support goes beyond just emotional comfort. Ryan described a recent incident in which some teens were targeted in downtown St. Johns. Knowing of a trusted community member, they ran to that person's shop for safety.
“Bullying is a problem and not having enough spaces in rural communities is a problem,” Ryan said. “As a non-profit, we don’t even have our own building — we’re just a very grassroots type of organization. When there can be places like Nina’s Notions, that’s an actual building that someone could go into and find safety and security and acceptance; that means the world to people.”
While rural areas are often associated with greater intolerance, Halitsky describes St. Johns’ downtown area as being very community-minded and supportive. She points to a nearby shop that specializes in chocolate for those with dietary restrictions as just one example of the diverse ways businesses in the community strive to be inclusive and create equitable opportunities for people.
“It’s just a great community which is very supportive of each other,” Halitsky said.
In the less than two years that Nina’s Notions has been open, Halitsky’s customers, especially her younger ones, have learned that they can find a place of support and a person who will listen.
“I had a young lady come in — she is 16 and doesn’t have the support of her family,” Halitsky said. “She just needed somebody to talk to and knew that we were open. Just having a listening ear for them to talk to and for them to know that they can come to us at any time and we’re there for them. They’ve been back because of that and will shop at the store.”
Halitsky described another incident where a woman did not approve of her granddaughter identifying under the LGBTQ+ umbrella and when they both ended up in the store, the grandmother refused to acknowledge granddaughter’s presence. After her grandmother left, the young person needed a place where she could talk about her hurt.
As her store has blossomed and found a larger home, Halitsky’s commitment to nurturing an open, welcoming community has only deepened.
“Everybody should be treated the same,” Halitsky said. “We’re living in a time where there seems to be a lot of backlash against acceptance and I think it’s important for people to know that they have somewhere that they can go where they’re not going to be judged.”
Visit Nina’s Notions Paper Crafting in St. Johns at 104 N. Clinton Ave., Suite A.
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