About

Staff

Morgan Stemberger, Manager
Tammi Johnson, staff

Board of Directors

Brenda Lewis, President
Jim Stephenson, Vice President
Anne Lippin, Secretary
Paula Gilbertson, Treasurer
Erik Anderson
Emily Barker
Deb Green
Jaime Hanneken
Tony Lawrence
Laura Hannah

Mission Statement

• To do justice by offering quality goods at reasonable prices,
• To live kindly by creating a welcoming environment and a network of support,
• To humbly express our values by volunteering,
• To donate basic items to service agencies,
• To donate our proceeds to be used in the community and
• To provide a place for the recirculation and recycling of material goods to maintain a stable and sustainable environment.

 

History

Old School by Steeple People was founded in 1979 by members of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church who wanted to provide a community service by selling quality donated goods at affordable prices. The store operated for 38 years as Steeple People Thrift Store at the corner of Franklin and Lyndale, growing from a small part-time operation to a six-day-a-week resource. In March 2017 the building was sold and razed.

Solid support to resurrect Steeple People was provided by Hennepin Church and the store’s devoted board, volunteers, and customers. In October 2018, Old School by Steeple People opened in the Stevens Square neighborhood. City Pages named Old School “Best Thrift Store” in its first year of operation at the new location.

With two full-time staff and a part-time weekend manager, Old School by Steeple People relies on a devoted group of volunteers to provide support for the store’s operation. Store customers might come initially for the great selection and reasonable prices, but they stay for the Old School community. Many loyal customers turn into volunteers and board members!

Profits from Old School support worthy local charitable causes. Since 1979, profits of over 1.5 million dollars have been given to programs supporting the needs of children, people experiencing homelessness, and other deserving populations. Additionally, Old School acts as a channel of distribution to a variety of organizations. Typical donations include: 800 pounds of clothing per week to the Groveland Food Shelf, household goods to the Courage Center, and book donations to the Women’s Prison Book Project.