Minnesota Good Works Outlet is changing lives one sale at a time
A store in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, is more than a place to shop. It's a place where generosity, opportunity and second chances come together.
Volunteer Jeff Karlson never runs out of work at the Minnesota Good Works Outlet.
"There's always something to do," Karlson said. "There is general maintenance outside, lawn mowing, getting rid of weeds and putting stuff together."
And he's not slowing down.
"I'm generally the guy that puts stuff together, fixes stuff, puts up the signage," Karlson said. "My mother set the example. After she retired from teaching, she said she felt like she had been really blessed in her life, and my wife and I feel the same way."
The mission-driven mobile store is operated by Minnesota Good Works and sells new and overstocked items at a deep discount, all to make a difference.
"My wife and I remodeled our home last year, I wish I'd known about this place last year," Karlson said.
Items leaving its 4,400-square-foot store benefit people facing personal and financial hardship.
"From veterans to people who are homeless, survivors of trafficking as well as those families making just enough to get by but not ahead," said Adam Raatz, a Minnesota Good Works board member. "Bridge the gap for those in the community that fall through the cracks. When we lose dignity, I think that's when the system fails."
Raatz says when a system fails, hope can, too.
"And that drive to go on to the next day, that's a problem," Raatz said. "Changing lives is, I think, the core of it."
Each sale supports the nonprofit's enrichment programming, mentorship and resources for some of the state's most vulnerable populations — something contractor Ryan Herrmann says he can get behind.
"It's like a trifecta. If we can get what the customer needs, save them money but also offer them to get the materials from somewhere that uses the proceeds for an amazing cause, like that's the best, you really can't do anything else better than that," Herrmann said.
Find more information on Minnesota Good Works on their website.
