DOING GOOD
For the Community Basic Needs Thrift Shop helps families in need.
FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, the cities of Woodbury, Cottage Grove and other surrounding communities have had a secret Santa of sorts—Basic Needs Thrift Shop, a nonprofit organization founded in 1996, which was created to provide aid and resources to disadvantaged families in the South Washington County area. “We started as a community-based thrift store to resell gently used goods at deeply discounted prices, then grew our programming to meet the needs expressed by our customers,” says executive director Vickie Snyder. Following
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COVID-19, Snyder notes the increase of food insecurity, substance use and poor mental health. “In 2021, the board of directors made several changes, which included the change of our mission and the expansion of our programs,” she says. “[It] includes addressing housing concerns, addressing food insecurity, our Voucher Program [for] clothing and other coordinated activities, such as gas cards, repair help and special events.” Programs, such as the voucher system, allow individuals to find resources through its food pantry, thrift shop and
community events. In the past year, Snyder says it provided 56 vouchers to families—totaling to more than $6,500. “It’s providing food security, so they can afford their rent or mortgage or pay for life-saving medication,” she says. “It’s hearing personal testimonies from customers who can afford winter clothes or new shoes for their children from our thrift store. We see our impact on a daily basis when voucher clients arrive feeling overwhelmed and leave our store with everything they need in hand.” Basic Needs works with a variety of
December 2022
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By Hailey Almsted
