KARMIN'S STORY

I was raised by my grandma who is still living at the age of 96. We used to go to thrift stores, and there was one in particular: St. Vincent de Paul that was more than a thrift store, it was geared toward outreach. St. Vincent de Paul helped families in crisis situations by offering access to food, clothing, household items, basic utilities and more, but it has since closed it's doors. There were no other organizations or businesses that filled the gap, so I woke up one morning and decided I was going to open up a thrift-store/outreach center.

I took my 401(k), locked in a physical space, reached out to the Cedar Valley community for donations, and now we have a thrift store selling things at affordable prices. We also offer a food pantry and were able to do community meals this past summer we had 13 events and we served over 943 people. Our business is more than a thrift store, it is also therapeutic, as we have some people come in and work in our space. I work with other outreach services that are making a difference in our community - including a program that takes care of shopping needs for those who are disabled and those who are elderly. We're in the process of trying to secure a partnership with Blackhawk county food bank where we can have a food pantry on site that would service people on Saturdays, senior citizens, families with young children and those that don't have vehicles to make it to the regular food pantries. I am proud of the training program we started for young adults working in the store on Saturdays. This program is geared toward teaching work ethic, and most importantly, showing love, caring for others, and being understanding at all times.