Common Goods Store in Crosslake Gets a Makeover

Generous community members are overwhelming a local non-profit with hundreds of donations a week. Their thrift store could not keep up with the surplus of items…until now.

“I hopped in my car this morning and headed right down,” said customer Carrie Espeseth.

That was the feeling for a lot of Crosslake residents this morning as the Commons Goods store was flooded with customers for their grand re-opening.

“We were bursting at the seams with our donations and our processing room, so we just needed a little more room to spread out,” said Andrea Martin, the retail manager of the store.

Just two months ago, the store ended in what is now open space, but thanks to community members coming together, they were able to knock down the wall, renovate the space, and now, Common Goods is looking better than ever.

“It looks so clean; during the construction it was really hard to keep things clean, so now hopefully we can do it better. It’s just wonderful, it’s a great place,” said Kay Spizzo, a volunteer who helps run the store.

The renovations included a new floor space for the sales section of the store, and the back was also remodeled with an office, break room, and more storage space.

Common Goods is excited about their extra space, but what’s more important is the work they do for the non-profit group Bridges of Hope.

“Bridges of Hope has always struck a cord with me. I’ve actually been helped by Bridges of Hope from the past, so working in the store is a way I can give back to an organization that has given so much to our community,” Martin said.

“The profits go to help needy people in Crow Wing County. That really makes a difference for me – it’s real easy to donate when you have such great reasons to donate,” Espeseth said.

The Common Goods store could not be possible without the hundreds of donations from community members and the volunteers that helped with the renovation.

“I come in two hours a week and I help sort clothes, I clean, I sometimes tag clothes, and I just enjoy it,” Spizzo said.

The organization depends on many local volunteers to get the work done.

“So, yesterday and the day before it was all hands-on-deck. The store closed down, and everybody just worked hard to get it ready for today,” Martin said.

It was a grand day for customers and store-owners alike.

The Bridges of Hope foundation has been serving local families in times of crisis for over fifteen years.