Oakdale Shop Aims to Make Parting with Treasures Less Painful

When and the adjoining , its managers envisioned that the coffee shop would become a sort of community center—providing space for gatherings and live entertainment—and the boutique would help fund the café and other Salvation Army programs.

What they didn’t expect was that providing a place where old, unneeded items could take on a new life would become a ministry in itself, said Kristin Carlson, who manages the café and boutique along with her husband Lars Carlson.

Last week, Carlson said, a woman donated her mother’s wedding dress from the 1940s.

Letting go of a family heirloom like that can be hard, Carlson said, but sometimes it's necessary. Knowing that it's going to a good cause, and that its history won't be totally lost can make it easier, she said.

“They just want to impart a little bit of themselves as they give it,” Carlson said. She wants donors to know that, “their donation is not only needed and appreciated, but we’d like to hear their story.”

The majority of items donated at the Oakdale boutique are sold at the store, she said, which is playing a role in serving the local community.

Shop workers answer as many as 10 phone calls per day from people seeking information about various Salvation Army programs, she said, and they always have a bin of mittens, socks or other necessities to give to people in need.

With Bible studies for people from all walks of life, including those in recovery or transitional housing programs, live music every Friday and Saturday night, and events like stand-up comedy night at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, after one year the coffee shop is already fulfilling the vision of becoming a community meeting place. The operation’s first year hasn’t been without struggles, though.

When they opened, the Carlsons were running just the coffee shop and the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center—which operates the organization’s other thrift stores—was in charge of the boutique. But then the Adult Rehabilitation Center decided the location wasn’t profitable enough and pulled out, said Major Jeff Strickler, Twin Cities commander for The Salvation Army, leaving the Carlsons in charge of both the store and café.

Looking forward, The Salvation Army is working on getting its Sally Ann line—fair trade products that support missions work—into the shop, and they’re even looking at the possibility of selling items on consignment, Strickler said.

At the coffee shop, they're using employees that are part of a Salvation Army job training program, Carlson said, and they’re considering establishing a larger offsite bakery training center for young adults in conjunction with the Booth Brown House that would supply the shop’s baked goods.

“There’s a lot of programming that’s kind of in the works right now,” Carlson said.

They’ll also be seeking store volunteers in 2012. Watch Oakdale Patch for an announcement about volunteer opportunities.

If you want to support the operation, Strickler suggests donating items to the boutique and frequenting the coffee shop.

“It’s a great coffee shop,” he said. “They’ve got wonderful coffees—wonderful foods.”

and the are located at 6060 50th St. N. in Oakdale.