Shepherd of the Hills thrift store available for everyone in need
The Shepherd of the Hills clothing center, now referred to as thrift store, has served the community since 1985, providing assistance to those in need of clothing, housewares and a variety of other items.
There will be a grand opening clearance sale at the thrift store on Saturday April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
The Shepherd of the Hills (SOTH) clothing center, now referred to as thrift store, has served the community since 1985, providing assistance to those in need of clothing, housewares and a variety of other items. It doesn’t matter what religion patrons practice. The mission of the ministry is to help those in need, as God would have intended.
Helping fulfill that function is ministry coordinator Heather Hageman, who joined SOTH in May 2022, after relocating back to the area. She is directly in charge of the thrift store and its only staff member.
Hageman runs the day-to-day operations, sometimes with volunteer help from her husband and mom. She oversees the drop-offs, sorting, organizing and hanging and interacts with the community the thrift store is there to serve.
In Hageman’s own words, “The purpose of the thrift store is to provide a place for people to donate and to provide low-cost items to the community. We truly are a thrift store that services all people.”
In the thrift store, which is located at 100 W. Hill St., in St. Olaf, people can find clothing, shoes, housewares, books and small miscellaneous items.
“We have been getting great donations of name brand items and some with tags on them still,” Hageman said.
Those donations come primarily from other churches, individuals and local businesses. They are usually dropped off during the thrift store’s open hours, which are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., typically Monday through Friday.
Hageman indicated there is flexibility if drop-offs need to be made another day or time, including weekends. Additionally, Hageman is looking into alternate methods for donation drops, for those who cannot make it to the store. What that looks like is still under development.
One thing Hageman is working on specifically is aligning the store hours to better serve the working class, as “they are important to the full circle,” she said.
In terms of who the thrift store serves, it’s easy to simply state it benefits “many people,” but who are those people? Well, they include the elderly living on limited funds who enjoy the shopping experience, mothers and fathers who are struggling financially but are still looking to provide, and, of course, it benefits children, who enjoy picking out items for themselves. The low prices make the inaccessible accessible to all of them.
The impact the thrift store has had is quite significant. Since May 2022, the thrift store has helped 728 families that were referred, while accepting 878 donations and selling just over 18,000 items.
“These numbers indicate we are needed and the community is utilizing our services,” Hageman said.
According to Hageman, money raised through the thrift store goes toward the SOTH crisis fund, which provides assistance to people who need help paying for rent, utilities or other basic services. It also goes toward the operating budget and other SOTH projects, including Back to School, Coats for Kids and Christmas for Kids.
Beyond the sheer numbers, there is the inherent joy it brings Hageman, who acknowledged a love for thrift store shopping.
“I love thrift store shopping myself, so I have made the store what I would want in a thrift store. Most days, I don’t feel like I am working because I am having so much fun,” she said.
This fun comes with the rewarding nature of the job, including the happiness of those who are being helped and the appreciation Hageman receives for all she does. Some of those compliments mention how organized she is, how much fun people had and how beneficial a local thrift store is to the community.
“What amazing organization skills you have. It looks warm and welcoming, and much easier to see it all. Thank you for all the hard work you and your husband have done,” read one of the comments posted on Facebook.
Others said, “Wow, love the color and displays! Looks like a lot of hard work and time. Very nice,” and “We had fun shopping with Heather.”
Hageman is grateful, but also expresses a touch of humility.
“I cannot take all the credit myself as I am the ‘middle person.’ It takes all of us to make this work,” she said.
Part of that work has gone into the upcoming grand opening clearance sale scheduled for Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I would like to stress that everything we do at SOTH is to provide assistance for those in need and to provide a great thrift store for everyone to shop. Donations are what allow us to still be here, helping people, [and] it all helps and is greatly appreciated,” Hageman said.
