Have You Heard of St. Cloud’s Free Thrift Store?

Parents and Grandparents all face a couple of common problems. Kids grow so fast; it seems like you’re constantly looking for their next size up in clothes.  

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The other problem they face is what do you do with the clothes they just outgrew? Sure, there are thrift stores you can donate to, and of course there’s always Facebook marketplace that you can sell those items on. 

And those are good options, but I wanted to make you aware of another. Westyn's Garage.  

This relatively new 501 (c) (C) Nonprofit is looking to help parents and grandparents with their constant struggle of keeping their kiddos in clothes and then be an outlet for them to offload the things that don’t fit anymore. 

The thing that makes Westyn's Garage different is that they give away the items they collect. That’s right, if your child needed something or a few somethings, you could get them FREE.  

I met Amanda, one of the founders of Westyn's Garage on Saturday at their Fundraising Yard Sale event in downtown St. Cloud. She was explaining that she and her partner in the venture Jenna, started this effort after “passing down” clothes from their kids to cousins and other folks they knew. 

They turned the constant cycle of outgrowing and seeking new clothes into a mantra of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, meaning why keep buying new when it will only be a short period of time until you’ve to find something bigger.  

Westyn’s Garage has evolved from just kids' clothes and toys to include adult clothes and household items too. Their goal is to help people who are down on their luck, homeless in need of clothes, or just need a helping hand.  

It’s like Amanda said on Saturday, “if someone gets a job that requires them to have a certain style of clothes and they don’t get paid for a few weeks, we want to help them”.  

There are no questions asked about your situation, Amanda says they understand everyone has ups and downs in life and needs a helping hand from time to time. They want those who turn to them to feel no judgement. 

Whether it’s clothing, or that dish or bowl you need for the kitchen, Westyn’s Garage wants to help.  

Westyn’s Garage is currently operating out of a storage building, but they’re looking for a more permanent location.  They have a venmo account if you'd like to donate, @westynsgarage. You can also join their Facebook group as well; Westyns Garage. You can also email them at westynsgarage@gmail.com.

Learn more about how you can help or find help at Westyn’s Garage.