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www.driftlessjournal.com | news@driftlessjournal.com | 563-382-4221 | Tuesday, July 2, 2024 | Vol. 6 Issue 27
Depot Outlet announces major expansion 51-year-old nonprofit hopes to open new store before 2025
Depot Supervisor Laurie Hatlan of Waukon sorts through a box of donations at Depot Outlet, Inc., in Decorah. “I like this place because of what it does for the community,” Hatlan said. “I have six kids, so this is a passion of mine; to shop where things are affordable.” (Driftless Multimedia photo by Zach Jensen) By Zach Jensen Every weekday morning, shoppers line up at the front door of Decorah’s Depot Outlet, Inc., for a chance at finding inexpensive clothing, collectibles and other treasures. The store, casually referred to as “The Depot,” opens at 9 a.m., and within the first 90 minutes of being open, employees are already restocking the shelves. “We always have lines of people waiting to come in every morning,” said Depot Director Jessica O’Mara. “Rain or shine or 30 below, it doesn’t matter. We’re putting new stuff out every day, all day long. It comes out as fast as we can process it. In one week in December, we processed and sold 20,000 individual items, and most of those were at $2 or less.” As a result, the nonprofit local thrift store can provide grants and charitable donations totaling between $250,000 and $300,000 every year – all from store sales – which is why the Depot’s board of directors re-
cently decided it was time for the store’s fifth change of location. Only this time, the Depot bought nearly the entire 510 Montgomery Street building it’s currently in – almost doubling its current store and warehouse space with hopes of the new store opening before the end of the year. “It’ll be a bigger warehouse, bigger store — bigger everything,” O’Mara said. “The Depot has always very much wanted to do what we can to improve the lives of people with disabilities. One of the priorities in this new store is that we will finally have aisles that are ADA-approved, and shoppers will feel more comfortable because there’s enough room to shop and not feel crowded.” O’Mara, who began as a sales associate with the Depot in 2019, said the organization’s board of directors decided they wouldn’t move if they couldn’t continue to provide the county with the same amount of annual support. “Before approving the de-
cision, it was decided that if any part of this purchase would jeopardize our ability to give back to Winneshiek County, we wouldn’t do it,” she explained. “So, if we weren’t convinced that we could continue to provide at least $250,000 to $300,000 per year to Winneshiek County, we would not have done it. And we also have to do this without raising our prices. Our necessities are going to stay cheap.” Cheap necessities, O’Mara said, is a core value for the Depot. “Part of the mission and the goal is to provide necessities to local individuals who otherwise cannot afford them,” she said. “This is why our clothes are still $2 each. Clothing is a necessity, and if someone cannot afford it elsewhere, they can come here and find it and have clothes for themselves or their children so they can go to school. If it’s a necessity,
Depot Outlet
Isaac Larsen, 4 1/2-year-old-son of Laura and Tom Larsen of Charles City, made the most of his first visit to Breakfast on the Farm by feeding and milking the cow statue, swimming in the corn pool, and visiting the baby cows. His favorite thing about the entire visit was ‘eating the sausages’! (Photos by Denise Lana)
Breakfast on the Farm
Damp weather and soggy ground didn’t deter more than one thousand people who turned out Saturday, June 22, at Iowa’s Dairy Center in Calmar for its 14th annual Breakfast on the Farm. From 8 till noon, the dairy was swarming with visitors taking part in tractor hayride tours, playing in corn pools, visiting educational exhibits, enjoying face painting, snacking on yummy milk, cheese, and ice cream treats, and of course, eating breakfast! There was a perpetual line flowing outside the tent where volunteers were busy serving Dad’s Belgian waf- Gabby Gansen, 8, daughter of Sam and Matt Gansen of fles, sausages, and a plethora Calmar, spins the trivia wheel at the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s display. of breakfast sides.
continued on page 4
Local clinic has new brand
Merger of Bellin and Gundersen Health forms Emplify Health By Roz Weis Gundersen Health System and Bellin are moving forward with a merger to become Emplify Health. The announcement was formally made back in December 2022, when the two health care systems came together as one. The merger followed months of discussions and required regulatory reviews. After the merger is finalized, a spokesperson with Gundersen said the health systems will
offer access to more resources and a broader network of services improving care for patients and families they serve. The two systems have served patients in their respective parts of Wisconsin,
upper Michigan, southeastern Minnesota and northeast Iowa for more than 100 years. The new brand boasts hospitals and more than 100 clinic locations in 67 cities and rural communities, including Decorah.
“We have been on a transformative journey to lean into our collective expertise and our empathy and honor our systems’ legacies as we drive into the future,” according to Gundersen Region President Heather Schimmers in a letter to patients. The transition to Emplify Health is expected over the next several months and years, with the new brand slowly being incorporated into patient experiences. Schimmers continued,
The Decorah’s Emplify Health site is located at 1830 State Highway 9 in Decorah. (submitted) “Change is in building what’s next, not in dismantling what was. While unifying Bellin and Gundersen under one brand will bring great efficiencies as we find ways to withstand the ever-changing landscape of healthcare, our legacies re-
main as important as ever as we acknowledge our system’s storied heritage long into the future.” Schimmers indicated the same care with the same providers at the same locations are assured.
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