The boutique owner goes from stewardship to fashion

Noelle Wellington entered the foster care system when she was 2 years old and didn’t leave until she was older nearly two decades later.

“People would tell me I was going to be nothing, or that I was going to do drugs like my mom and stuff like that,” she said. “So my ambition and determination was always through the roof.”

Leaving the foster care system means making the difficult transition to adulthood without a support system — often after a lifetime of trauma — and all the statistics were against it, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures advisory group. Half of foster children who age out of the system become drug addicts. A quarter will not have a high school diploma or GED. And more than one in five will end up homeless.

Wellington made the conscious decision not to go to college because she wanted to avoid debt. She also had an entrepreneurial spirit and loved to work. She often worked 80 to 90 hours a week between retail and home health care jobs.

Then, when she was 25, she had a car accident. Two years later, she took out a settlement and put every cent into opening her own clothing store called Queenz, at 2577 Bailey Ave.

“I never really had clothes growing up. I would go into my closet and pray over my clothes and say, ‘Lord, please multiply,'” she said. “And then, years later, I get a clothing store.”

Unfortunately, that year was 2019, which meant that Covid-19 was just around the corner. Wellington had to close the store but was still on the hook for rent and other bills. She leaned into her e-commerce operations and built a following.

Earlier this month, she reopened the brick-and-mortar Queenz boutique. It sells men’s and women’s clothing, women’s underwear and accessories such as handbags.

She admits that the road to where she is has been difficult and that there may be more bumps ahead. But she also believes that owning a clothing store is nothing short of a miracle.

“It was a dream come true and I have to give all my credit to God,” she said.

Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on Buffalo Niagara’s changing economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.

Veterinarian Valerie Ciallella and former West Side pet clinic manager Joe Speranza have teamed up to start Pawsitive Vibes Roaming Veterinary Care, a mobile veterinary clinic.

Pawsitive Vibes will make home visits, which owners say are helpful for anxious dogs and convenient for elderly clients, those without transportation or those with mobility issues.

JC Penney at Walden Galleria has replaced its Sephora Beauty store with its brand new concept, JC Penney Beauty. The new store-within-a-store is described as “hyper-inclusive” of all skin tones, ages, races, budgets and hair types.

The new store will replace Sephora, as it migrates away from JC Penney to Kohl’s stores after deciding not to renew its relationship with JC Penney. There will be 600 stores installed by spring.

A new Taco Bell has opened at 1175 Union Road in West Seneca. It is franchised by KBP Brands, which has more than 1,000 fast food restaurants in 31 states.

The shop has free Wi-Fi, electrical outlets and comfortable seating. The drive-thru has a menu board with an electronic ordering system, which the company said will make ordering faster and more accurate.

Beginning January 1, Walmart will no longer offer paper shopping bags to customers in New York State. Shoppers will need to bring their own reusable bags.

Walmart stores have already gone bagless in Vermont, Maine and New Jersey.

Discover the latest news from the Buffalo Niagara economy:

Throughout Western New York, health care workers have many stories to tell about how they weathered the storm while at work.

Legal marijuana sales began in the state on Thursdaybut not in western New York because of a lawsuit that led to an order banning sales here.

World Central Kitchen is back help feed Buffalo’s East Side in storm response that shut down the city for almost a week.

Wells Enterprises will eliminate 183 jobs at its Dunkirk plantwhich is fewer than the 319 employees the company had previously planned to lay off.

A three-year agreement provides Highmark members will continue to have access to the network to be cared for in Catholic Health facilities.

Athenex is closing its manufacturing plant in Newstead and the layoff of 92 employees since March 17.

Preliminary efforts are underway to prepare for the third phase of the Northland complex redevelopment project in Buffalo.

The state is looking for ideas to rebuild a prison that closed last year in Gowanda.

Federal funding was needed to launch a central technology program is included in a year-end spending bill before Congress.

Cost versus benefits: This is the trade-off at the heart of the state’s proposed climate change plan.

A development agency is hiring a consultant to find ways to improve the infrastructure connecting Canalside and the redesigned Centennial Park.

The Buffalo Niagara region’s sluggish employment is being fueled by a shortage of workersand local officials are beginning to look for ways to alleviate the crisis.

Big changes are coming next in the state energy markets a plan to reduce harmful emissions was approved by an advisory panel.

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. Return to Buffalo Niagara’s economyThe value of all goods and services produced in the region, which fell by 3.4% during the pandemic, rebounded last year, with an increase of 5.3%.

2. Receipts make me want to shop: How Buffalo Bills merchandise is some of the hottest local gifts this holiday season.

3. As you will Western New York higher education institutions recover from Covid-19? Enrollments in some local schools are lagging, but others are struggling to attract students.

4. New life for old stones: How a Buffalo company is finding new uses for old bricks and stones in construction projects.

5. Major changes are being proposed for the state’s energy marketsand it could change the way residents heat their homes and cook their food for years to come.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or contact deputy business editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

Has this email been forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week.