After the Bell with CCHS Staffulty Member Christine Helminiak
Have you ever wondered what teachers and staff do when they are not at school? We decided to find out!
This is one in a series of stories about some of Central Catholic’s faculty and staff members and what they like to do after the bell rings at the end of the day. Some have surprising hobbies, others have creative talents. With this series, we hope to shine a spotlight on the special people who work with our students every day!
Graceful Gifting
Christine Helminiak is an accountant in the financial services office, and she began working at CCHS in August 2024. She graduated from Bay Shore High School in Bay Shore, New York and previously worked as a bookkeeper and human resource assistant. She wanted to work at Central Catholic because of its healthy spiritual atmosphere.
Outside of work, Christine enjoys doing crafts. In March of this year, she took her love for crafting and opened an e-commerce print-on-demand company called Your Graceful Customs. “The name Your Graceful Customs comes from my faith,” added Christine. “I love that we are blessed with Jesus’ grace, and I wanted a name that reflected that while also showing how much love I put into my designs. Everything I create is meant to be thoughtful and meaningful.”
The online store offers “heartfelt designs for every story,” including personalized acrylic blocks that can be created for memorials or gifts for couples, friends, etc. She also sells necklaces, T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, towels, and other items that make perfect gifts. The items can be personalized with names, photos, and message cards to make them especially meaningful as seasonal gifts, or for birthdays, graduations, weddings, and many other occasions.
“I love doing crafts, and I was going to work at Hobby Lobby during my spare time, but then I decided I didn’t want to do that,” Christine said. “I’d rather have fun and work at home in my spare time. I found an awesome e-commerce coach, and two months later I opened my shop.”
According to shopify.com, print on demand is a business model where products, such as clothing, accessories, or home décor, are designed by the seller and produced by the supplier once an order is received. When a customer places an order, the product is printed, packed, and shipped by a third-party print-on-demand service. For sellers, this eliminates the need to purchase and manage inventory.
“I work with two very reputable suppliers in the US where the products are made and shipped,” Christine explained. “I researched them and paid attention to how quickly they respond and how they treat people because service and trust are very important to me. I also work with a very reputable third-party personalization company to offer personalization on my products. They are amazing and get back to me very quickly, and they help work through any questions before I ever promote a product. Without them, my store would be less. Everyone is great to work with. I do proof and approve all of the customer orders and personalization items before they are sent to production.”
Christine founded her company in her mom’s memory. “It was out of respect and missing her smiles and remembering all she would do to make others smile,” she explained. “In my mom’s younger years, she would doodle outside and just make life fun! Mom loved everyone and LOVED to make everyone smile. Sharing these gifts just reminds me that someone always needs a smile, no matter the occasion.” She also tries to implement her mom’s love of butterflies in some of the designs and on her website.
When she started her company, Christine focused on gifts for daughters, mothers, and wives. She recently started creating designs for sons, fathers, and husbands, as well as some other personalized items that people can buy for their loved ones or for themselves. To be successful, she spends a lot of time researching what’s trending and why before she designs anything. She’s currently working on new custom designs for shirts and hoodies that include sports with personalization’s, and she’s having fun with that.
“I have had some friends approach me and give me their designs and I’ve gotten them made,” she said. “I just love to see people smile, so I want to create things that make them happy. My products are typically lower than my competitors as well!”
You can check out Christine’s shop online at yourgracefulcustoms.com or on Facebook HERE.
Previous Editions of “After the Bell”
Tye Turner (September)
Elaine Gabalac (October)
Randall Pryor (November)
Tom Trease (December)
DJ White (January)
