Volunteers and representatives benefiting from the work of volunteers at the First & Second Thrift Store gathered at the Cook County Senior Center on August 29 to receive the reward for their labor. Checks were distributed to local schools, churches, youth groups, the Cook County Food Shelf, the North Shore Health Care Foundation and more. (L-R, front) Gene Glader, Dave Palmer, Nancy Dalbec, Millie Gestel, Paulette Anholm. (L-R, back) Thrift Store Coordinator Sally Berg, Clara Weitz, Karl Hansen, Sharron McCann, Bev Denyes, Amy Henrikson, Mike Carlson. For information about earning money for your local nonprofit, contact Bev Green at the Senior Center at (218) 387-2660.
Since it opened in July 2007, the First & Second Thrift Store in Grand Marais has distributed $180,000 to nonprofits in the community. On August 29, thrift store volunteers gathered at the Grand Marais Senior Center to celebrate the store’s success—and to accept their share of the proceeds.
Volunteers at the thrift store in the Cobblestone Building on Highway 61 in Grand Marais are not paid, but instead allocate the money earned for their time in the store or at the donation center to a community organization of their choosing.
In this payout period, January 1 – June 30, 59 volunteers worked a total of 1,596 hours, earning $17,349. Twentynine nonprofit organizations received money to continue their good works, thanks to those volunteers who earned $11 per hour.
Thrift Store Coordinator Sally Berg said she was delighted to distribute the checks to the volunteers on hand. “It’s pretty impressive for such a small town,” she said.
However, Berg said, more volunteers are needed. She smiled and said, “Consider joining us if you enjoy working for a deserving nonprofit—and sometimes finding a treasure or two!”
Volunteers laughed, agreeing that they are sometimes the store’s best customers.
Checks were distributed to representatives of local schools, churches, youth groups, the Cook County Food Shelf, the North Shore Health Care Foundation and more.
If you would like to help a community nonprofit by working at the First & Second Thrift Store or at the donation center, contact Bev Green at the Senior Center for more information at (218) 387-2660.
If you would like to donate items to sell at the thrift store, donations are accepted at the neatly organized garage behind the Cook County Senior Center Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Leave a Reply